David Beckham shares ‘simple values’ parents taught him

David Beckham opened up about the “simple values” his parents taught him that he passed on to his children, in a conversation with CNBC host Tania Bryer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The former soccer star attended the WEF for the first time to receive the Crystal Award for philanthropy, for his work protecting vulnerable children as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2005.

Bryer asked Beckham about where his passion to make a difference comes from and the values his parents taught him.

“I think they instilled in me the right values and it’s the simple values of treating everyone the same and showing respect to people and I tried to do the same with my children,” Beckham said.

The 49-year-old father of four said his youngest, Harper, is 13 and his eldest, Brooklyn, is 25.

“My boys all know that they let a woman walk through the door before they do. They stand up when a lady leaves the table, they shake hands, eye contact. You know all of those values, their pleases, their thank yous.

“All of my kids have said pleases and thank yous from two, three years old. So it’s the simple values that me and Victoria grew up with that we’ve tried to instill into our children,” Beckham added.

He said having kids has also inspired his work with children around the world. Beckham has traveled extensively to raise awareness about UNICEF’s work with children. He has visited Cambodia to meet with children who were victims of violence and abuse, South Africa to meet families living with HIV and AIDS, and the Philippines, where he met with children who were affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

“I’ve taken a few of my kids on different trips. They know exactly the work that I do for UNICEF. They all want to get involved in the UNICEF work that I do. They all want to help in different ways and different charities.

“I continue to show them pictures upon pictures upon pictures when I come home from these trips, and it just gives them a sense of actually, what’s happening in the world, and I think that’s so important.”

In his awards ceremony speech, Beckham also emphasized that “girls are held back” by poverty, violence, and discrimination.

“I want my daughter Harper to have the same opportunities as her brothers, and that should be the case for all girls everywhere. Being a girl shouldn’t determine what you can do, where you can go, and who you can become,” he said.

Beckham touched on several topics in his conversation with Bryer including his famed 20-year soccer career from 1992 to 2013, becoming the president and co-owner of soccer club Inter Miami CF, and his thoughts on social media.