Values in Children
Several values were stressed to Maya children. Not only was a strong work ethics desirable, but working for the betterment of the community was necessary.
Families were extremely important to the Maya culture, and respecting the leaders in one’s family was imperative. "A sense of responsibility is another important quality which children have to learn. This includes independence, self-confidence and the ability to make decisions." It is believed that the most important quality for children to have was common sense, and they received this by shadowing their parents.
Among Yucatec Maya parents, the ceremony called hetsmekʻ is still practiced even among professionals living in Mérida, the capital of Yucatán.
Read more about this topic: Childhood In Maya Society
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“Culture is the name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read and the speeches they hear, their table-talk, gossip, controversies, historical sense and scientific training, the values they appreciate, the quality of life they admire. All communities have a culture. It is the climate of their civilization.”
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