Teaching Moral Values to Children

Teaching Moral Values to Children

Morals are defined as expressing or teaching a conception of either behaviour. Teaching moral values to a child are usually the responsibility of the parents. A parent influences a child at a young age, although as they mature they have the ability to accept or reject their traits. In the play, A Taste of Honey, author Shelegh Delaney illustrates the impact a parent has on a child, and how their decisions can affect the way in which they control their lives. Children are influenced by their parents and this is reflected in their behaviour, which is dependent on the morals instilled in them from birth.

Relationships play a vast role in several people's lives and can have a tremendous effect on them. For example, in the play, A Taste of Honey, Helen, a single parent recently gets remarried to Peter, a young, rich, good looking man. This marriage has a tremendous impact on Helen's daughter, Jo, and influences the decisions she makes throughout her life.

Helen and Peter's marriage was based on desires rather than the comfort of being loved. Helen had originally moved away from Peter with her daughter to "turn over a new leaf" (15) for herself. As Peter arrives at Helen and Jo's flat he makes a proposal to Helen that she cannot refuse. He offers to marry her giving her a glamorous white house and all the money she desires. He claims that she cannot get any better than him because he is "young, good looking and well set up" (19). In spite of Helen's reluctance she marries Peter anyway solely for his money. Evidentially, their marriage does not elongate because the only reason Helen's is interested in Peter is for his money and the only reason why Peter is interested in Helen is because...

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...l has it's corrupted aspects.

Earning money immorally to support a child is wrong, however in certain cases the individual may not have a choice. Jo learned how to scam money out of Geoff for her own selfish needs, as Helen did to Peter as well as many other's for her own needs.

In conclusion morals are defined as expressing of teaching a conception of ethical behaviour. However, in the play, A Taste of Honey, we can see that two characters, Helen and Jo displayed immoral behaviour through the entire play. This play proves that what a parent does and who they become often determines who their children will become and what traits they will further. Parents heavily, influence children, and their actions can effect the decisions they make through their lives, which could consequently influence the way, a child views their life in a positive of negative manner.