Importance of core values for the family

About 4 years ago, my wife and I were talking about what values we want to live by as a family and teach our kids. There are so many, but which are the top three that should inform our choices and actions? After some deep thinking, we came up with three:

Compassion, Courage, Curiosity

We call them the 3Cs! And get this, all our core values start with “C.” Coincidence? Hmm… maybe, maybe not!

We truly believe that Compassion for self and others is what this world needs. Courage is vital for self-confidence and a growth mindset, and Curiosity is essential for open-mindedness and progress.

We remind our kids of these core values every so often, especially when they fight 😆

For example, when they are mean to each other during fights, we ask them whether it aligns with their core value on Compassion. They don't always apologize right away, but we can see them acknowledging and reflecting. When they are scared to do something new, we remind them of Courage, and when they don't want to learn something new, we remind them of Curiosity. That said, we always acknowledge when they live by the core values, too. If we see an act of kindness from them, persistence, and curiosity, we make a point of telling them they demonstrated their core value.

The idea is to believe in those and repeat those so that we naturally calibrate our choices, behavior, actions, and reactions to these core values. Do we always display these values? Of course not. That's not the point anyway. The point is to be aware and mindful of it, and if we ever deviate from it, then rectify our mistakes. Those become our guiding principles ultimately.

My dad used to tell us frequently - Have Self-Confidence, Self-Respect, and be Straightforward. At that time, I didn't consider those core values. But I see his point now.

What core values are important to you? I would love to hear.