How Our Family Values Are Being Redefined

Let's delve into some captivating insights from the World Values survey, specifically focusing on what people value when raising children:

• Hard Work & Imagination: Journey back to 1990. Only 29% believed that instilling the value of hard work in children was essential. Come 2022, this sentiment has grown to 48%. Similarly, the emphasis on nurturing imagination in children has risen from 18% to 27%.
  
• Obedience: Remember when "because I said so" was a parenting mantra? In 1998, 50% felt teaching obedience was crucial for children. Today? Just 11%. So, if today's children seem more assertive and independent, the data supports that observation.
  
• Here's a thought-provoking exercise: Examine the chart below and choose the three child-rearing traits that resonate most with you. Compare your answers with a spouse, partner, or parent. It's "Values Bingo" for family discussions!

• Manners: Egypt is setting the benchmark in emphasizing good manners for children. If your child befriends someone Egyptian, expect some help with the dishes. The US? We're 24th in emphasizing manners in child-rearing. If you’ve met my 3 year-old, it feels about right.
  
• Gen Z's Emphasis: Gen Z, when considering child-rearing, places less emphasis on tolerance, good manners, or unselfishness compared to previous generations. Their top priority? Fostering a strong sense of independence in children.
  
• Parental Pride: A striking 99% of Indonesians say a primary life goal for their children is to make their parents proud. In the US, it's 81%. However, at the bottom of the list, only 53% of Norwegians prioritize this sentiment for their offspring.
  
• Elderly Care: For the older generation in China, there's heartening news. A whopping 98% believe adult children have a duty to care for their parents. The US? Just 40%. And in Japan, a mere 26% hold this view.
  

In the spirit of always evolving, TFM has an update to share. While we strive for excellence, sometimes we miss a beat. Case in point: a discerning client pointed out the absence of 'hard work' from our list of family values. Out of 72 values, how did that slip by? Our oversight, indeed. So, we're warmly welcoming 'hard work' to our roster and parting ways with 'aggressiveness', which, interestingly, no client chose. It's the first addition in over 10 months, marking a significant moment for us. Until we connect again, continue to fuel those enriching family dialogues.