In the last part of our series on how to teach character to our kids, I thought I'd share some practical ways we've done this in our home.
The biggest way is using GOD's Word. The actual Bible. Not a kids story book bible, but the real one. Bible story books have their place, but I feel very firmly that my kids need to hear and should hear GOD's Words as He said them. As He breathed out to us.
Right now we are using a character list from Character Corner that I was able to download. I can't find the list, so it must have come in a set I got from her or it was a one time offer type thing. She has lots of options available on her site though!! Anyways, this list is really simple with a character quality on the left, the definition in the middle, and a Bible verse reference on the right. Each day in school we talk about one character quality, just going through the list. I expand greatly on the little bit of info that's given on this list. It's a great starting point!! I will often make up a scenario to illustrate for the kids how they personally can show or use this character quality.
In the past I've made my own lists and found verses to go along with it. But it's really nice having this list made up for me. I'm hoping to have my own available to you in the future!
There have been times where I have totally cancelled school for the day just so we could work on a character issue that was presenting itself. The two I thought of first were Joyfulness and Diligence. Instead of just getting angry and/or annoyed because they were whining over having to do school or because they weren't working well at all, I decided to just focus on the heart issue. Once I even cancelled school for an entire week. The kids were bickering, annoying each other, and not acting as best friends should act. We spent the week learning about love, being friends, and how we are to imitate Christ.
Disclaimer: these character flaws pop up quite often, but I don't always cancel school. And I don't cancel school lightly or at the first sign of these issues. It will have been going on for a while (maybe hours or days, depends on the level of the character flaws) and I'm not seeing any change in their heart attitudes or behavior. I'll be getting to the point of feeling that I'm at the end of my rope, or starting to get frustrated and feeling like I'm talking to a wall. I'm just repeating myself over and over and it's not doing any good. When that happens I need to change my plan of attack. *That's* when I cancel school.
We first talk about what the issue is, calling it what it is. Sin. Then specifically naming the sin. The order of how I approach it varies, depending the offense and circumstances, or just what I feel is the best approach in the moment. We cover what GOD says about sin, what He says about the specific sin, what He expects of us, and look at verses or an account where this godly character trait was shown, or where the sin was shown. We'll look up the definition of the godly character trait in the dictionary and discuss it. I'll make up a scenario, usually making it super silly, with how they should, as well as how they should not use this trait. I'll often have each of the kids make up their own story/scenario. Doing that makes them think even more about what I'm saying, put it into word form and find a way that they could practice the character quality. These stories range in serious to silly, but it helps them really think it through.
I know some of this is a little bit of an overlap from the previous posts in this series. Or it may seem super simple. Or not enough. But! I've found over and over again that keeping it simple and always, *always* taking my kids back to Christ and His Word, is the best thing you can do.
There have been times where I'll be talking to the kids about an issue and I fail to take them to Christ immediately. Of course I get nowhere. Nowhere!! All the sudden I realize I've been talking to them. As soon as I take them to Christ, start talking to them using GOD's words and not mine, things click. Things improve. Does it magically fix the problem? Does it make the day smooth sailing from there on out? Do I handle every issue that comes up perfectly? No way. But it certainly changes things. And it never ceases to amaze me. GOD's words are sooo powerful. And they will always be powerful.
His words to us are such a blessing and a gift to us. We need to use them. Every day. In every situation. He promises that His words will "...not return to me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose...." Isaiah 55.
The biggest way is using GOD's Word. The actual Bible. Not a kids story book bible, but the real one. Bible story books have their place, but I feel very firmly that my kids need to hear and should hear GOD's Words as He said them. As He breathed out to us.
Right now we are using a character list from Character Corner that I was able to download. I can't find the list, so it must have come in a set I got from her or it was a one time offer type thing. She has lots of options available on her site though!! Anyways, this list is really simple with a character quality on the left, the definition in the middle, and a Bible verse reference on the right. Each day in school we talk about one character quality, just going through the list. I expand greatly on the little bit of info that's given on this list. It's a great starting point!! I will often make up a scenario to illustrate for the kids how they personally can show or use this character quality.
In the past I've made my own lists and found verses to go along with it. But it's really nice having this list made up for me. I'm hoping to have my own available to you in the future!
There have been times where I have totally cancelled school for the day just so we could work on a character issue that was presenting itself. The two I thought of first were Joyfulness and Diligence. Instead of just getting angry and/or annoyed because they were whining over having to do school or because they weren't working well at all, I decided to just focus on the heart issue. Once I even cancelled school for an entire week. The kids were bickering, annoying each other, and not acting as best friends should act. We spent the week learning about love, being friends, and how we are to imitate Christ.
Disclaimer: these character flaws pop up quite often, but I don't always cancel school. And I don't cancel school lightly or at the first sign of these issues. It will have been going on for a while (maybe hours or days, depends on the level of the character flaws) and I'm not seeing any change in their heart attitudes or behavior. I'll be getting to the point of feeling that I'm at the end of my rope, or starting to get frustrated and feeling like I'm talking to a wall. I'm just repeating myself over and over and it's not doing any good. When that happens I need to change my plan of attack. *That's* when I cancel school.
We first talk about what the issue is, calling it what it is. Sin. Then specifically naming the sin. The order of how I approach it varies, depending the offense and circumstances, or just what I feel is the best approach in the moment. We cover what GOD says about sin, what He says about the specific sin, what He expects of us, and look at verses or an account where this godly character trait was shown, or where the sin was shown. We'll look up the definition of the godly character trait in the dictionary and discuss it. I'll make up a scenario, usually making it super silly, with how they should, as well as how they should not use this trait. I'll often have each of the kids make up their own story/scenario. Doing that makes them think even more about what I'm saying, put it into word form and find a way that they could practice the character quality. These stories range in serious to silly, but it helps them really think it through.
I know some of this is a little bit of an overlap from the previous posts in this series. Or it may seem super simple. Or not enough. But! I've found over and over again that keeping it simple and always, *always* taking my kids back to Christ and His Word, is the best thing you can do.
There have been times where I'll be talking to the kids about an issue and I fail to take them to Christ immediately. Of course I get nowhere. Nowhere!! All the sudden I realize I've been talking to them. As soon as I take them to Christ, start talking to them using GOD's words and not mine, things click. Things improve. Does it magically fix the problem? Does it make the day smooth sailing from there on out? Do I handle every issue that comes up perfectly? No way. But it certainly changes things. And it never ceases to amaze me. GOD's words are sooo powerful. And they will always be powerful.
His words to us are such a blessing and a gift to us. We need to use them. Every day. In every situation. He promises that His words will "...not return to me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose...." Isaiah 55.
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