BUILDING CHILDREN'S CHARACTER

BUILDING CHILDREN'S CHARACTER

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CHARACTER is

A belief in an absolute system of right and wrong, combined with the will to do what is right

regardless of the cost.� Therefore, a person with character will say, "What's the right thing

to do?" and a person with NO character will say, "What's in it for me?".� You automatically

have respect for a person with 'character'.

Character deals with the matters of the heart--the inner you, not the outer you.� The foundation

of a person is their character.� When you are an adult, you should proudly be able to say�I'm

a person of character, I don't do what's wrong".

In the past, society defined success in terms of character--what a person stood for, what a person believes, and the condition of the heart of the person.� Unfortunately, in today's society, the shift is from character

to achievement, to performance, to doing.� It's no longer what the condition of your heart is, it's how

well you perform.� We are living in a culture today when we come to a fork in the road where we

have to choose character over achievement, most choose achievement.� When that happens, there is

an automatic change in a person's ethics or values.

We are slowly eliminating from our thinking and our line of sight the very thing we need most

as individuals and as a nation.

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Why is it important for Parents to Build 'Character' in their children?

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Your children need to know within their hearts what is 'right' and what is 'wrong'.

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Children who have been taught 'character' by mom and dad automatically know 'right' from 'wrong'

and have the will to practice what is the right thing to do regardless of the cost to them.

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The key is to instill in your children the very necessary "moral and value" system that will

build character and discipline.� This will enable your children to make the 'right choices' in their

lives and have the will to practice them when pressured by outside influences, namely peer pressure.

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Here are some A-Z guidelines:

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A is for Accountablility - Hold your children accountable for their behaviour.

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Making your children accountable for their behaviour teaches your kids right from wrong.

It also teaches your kids that we are all allowed to make choices and that you expect them to

make the right choice because they are a person of 'character'.� All children who have character

make the right choice�guide your children to make the right choice.

Here's an example�Your child is lying to you and you are absolutely sure of this, simply say to your

child, "We do not tell lies in this house, we always tell the truth."� Let your kids know lying is not

acceptable.� If they made the wrong choice by lying, take away TV privileges for a while.� Tell them

the right choice is telling the truth.� Keep it simple, be consistent, take away a privilege, and your kids

will quickly learn to be accountable for their behaviour and make the right choice.

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C is for Character - Help your son or daughter become a person with character, to be able to know right from wrong and have the will to practice it.

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"Our society desperately needs men and women of� 'character'"

This profound statement was made by me as a wake-up call to all parents worldwide as a result

of the violence and killings at Littleton High School in Colorado.

Children with 'character' know automatically in their hearts that being violent is not the right

thing to do.� But first, children must be taught right from wrong by their parents.� I encourage

all parents to build character in their children. �By age 8 children should know right from wrong

so that they can make the right decisions when pressured by their friends to make the wrong choices

and so that they can now make the right choices when parents are not around to guide their children.#060;/o:p>

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Always Remember��A Child's BEST Advocate is always an informed and educated PARENT.

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This article is not to be published without the� permission

of the Author Barbara Joy Clarke at

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