 |
Character traits and parenting People skills |
Self Esteem |
Character |
Responsibility |
Encouragement |
Discipline |
Achievement
Building good character traits helps children handle life issues effectively. There are many tough decisions, crisis situations, and challenging relationships that require good judgement and character. This training best started at a young age.
Examine your heart In my relationships with others, am I patient and understanding? Do I have the best interests of others at heart or just myself? When things go wrong do I get angry and assign blame? Do I cave in when pressure situations arise? Parenting and character building require being good role models. Do I make decisions based on solid values or do I take the easiest path? Do I follow through on my commitments? Is my behavior consistent with everyone or do I play favorites? Do I talk about others behind their back? I often need to review my behavior and ask, "Is this really up the standard that I want for myself?" Write down your thoughts and give specific examples. This will help clarify where you are and emphasize areas that need addressing.
Get Feedback from others Sometimes we have blinders on. Solicit honest feedback from others to get insight that might otherwise be lacking. Share with others who normally spend time around you. This could be your spouse as well. Talk about challenges and how you would approach and resolve them. Others can often share insight that will help us in character development. Generally we know when we blow it. Close friends can give encouragement to go in a stronger direction. Ideal friends will balance honesty and encouragement. Getting a clearer picture, helps us focus on the changes that are needed. Give permission for others to give their honest evaluation. And be ready to accept constructive criticism. Good relationships goes along way in helping parents and character building activities.
Being a role model There are many issues that come up daily. Children will to see parent interaction with others and how they deal deal with challenges. As they see issues resolved in constructive and healthy ways, they will begin to emulate the same patterns. They also need to see me fail and then recover. And they need to see me apologize when wrong. Talk to children in clear, understandable terms. It takes a conscious effort to let your children see into your world. Exercise wisdom in determining what is appropriate for younger ages. Many circumstances involve adult issues. Still, there are teaching opportunities in most areas.
List of character traits. How am I doing with character issues? The list below is a partial list of desirable and necessary traits. Review the list and consider how you are doing in each area. Also, please click on the following link to see definitions for each of these words:
Dictionary of character traits
Observe children's behavior Children are not like ships that are christened and sent off at birth. They need nuturing and direction as they grow up. As time goes by, they participate in many things outside the home. Parenting and character development occurs in these activities as they try new things and interact with others. Decision making opportunities will multiply through time. It is important to keep close watch over their involvements and the potential impacts. This includes school, sports, clubs, and time spent with friends. There are many avenues that character is shaped. This will require attention to the details of their lives. It will also take a strong hand to steer your children away from negative influences.
Conscious effort Spend significant time with your children. Plan family activities and time together. As parents and/or children get busy, this is easier said then done. Without this time, value character traits won't be observed. It may require making sacrifices to ensure that ample face time happens. Less time at work or less time with personal hobbies may be what is needed. Setting time aside is well worth the sacrifice and should be a major priority. Time together, however, is not enough. A family can be caught up in a whirlwind of activities without really interacting. Quality is essential. Spend time talking about character issues and how to handle difficult life situations. Parents can share problems and ask for input from other family members. This gives children the opportunity to think about issues that may not have come up with them yet. Listen to their responses, their attitudes, concerns.
Taking action
Talk is one thing. Actually being involved in challenging circumstances can be far more stretching. There are many opportunities to put ourselves in the path of challenging situations. It may require getting involved where there is risk of being hurt or experiencing discomfort. Reaching out to those who are ill or having difficulties takes courage and compassion. Challenging someone who is out of line can be risky as they are approached. Planning these kind of character building activities will draw the family together and enable focus on character.
Responding to negatives Children face challenges all throught their growing up years. There are issues of succeeding in school, sports, and other activities. There are interpersonal relationships that will be challenging. Reponding correctly does not happen automatically.
Each child will face repeatedly. Sometimes they take a step back and sometimes they are successful in handling difficulties. Don't expect profection. Don't sufficate, condemn, or expect perfection. Actions should not just be a set of rules, but a response from the heart that is willing to do what is right.
The key is
building good character traits.
Leaving Character traits | Returning to Parenting Advice
Home | Terms&Conditions | About Us | Site Map | Contact Us
|
