Parents expect certain behaviors or responses from their partners or their children. Making their values conscious will be the first, most important step a parent will take in changing their relationships with their partners and their child. The most important aspect about values and parenting is that values can change over time. Most of the values a parent held when they were a child will be different from their values as an adult. As their goals, self-image, heroes, education, and experiences change, so will their values.
Older children make conscious choices to hold different values than their parents.
In fact, just by reading this book, parents are on the way to changing their values and their relationships with their partners and their children. A parent might be forced to question their values or beliefs because it goes against a social norm. A norm is any pattern of behavior believed to be right by society. For example, a parenting value might include the need for children to respect their elders. One parent might choose to enforce that value through the use of physical discipline.