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November Character Trait
Category: /Core Essentials - Character Education
UNIQUENESS: Learning more about others so you can know more about yourself.
What are the inward attitudes that make uniqueness important for children to learn as a value?
Recognizing uniqueness helps us to begin and build positive life relationships, recognize our personal potential and see responsibilities as opportunities.
Appreciating our uniqueness causes more positive relationships.
When we learn that others are different from us, we can use it to huddle up in groups, or we can use it to widen our perspective of the world. Help your children to learn to appreciate the individuals around them this month. Setting the pattern of appreciating differences now will help them with respecting others for life.
Finding our own uniqueness unlocks personal potential.
If we highlight the differences in our kids now and lift these differences up as something to be praised, we set a standard for our children. We teach them to appreciate those who are different from us, and we broaden the range of things they are familiar with.
Seeing responsibilities as opportunities gives us a sense of purpose.
The various roles played in life require us to exercise many abilities. Each person’s unique set of skills, traits and talents mean that we are equipped in a particularly appropriate way to accomplish our obligations. Our particular set of characteristics gives us the opportunity to turn responsibilities into our own personal statement.
One of the universal experiences of growing up is the tension of wanting to fit in with a group. At home and at school, help children experience acceptance while also seeing the value of being unique.
© 2007 Core Essentials, Inc. All rights reserved. www.coreessentials.org
Posted by: diannerichardson
| @ November 13, 2007 9:34:30 PM EST ( ) |
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October Character Education
Category: /Core Essentials - Character Education
RESPECT: Responding with words and actions that show others they are important.
Respect is an attitude of the heart that determines how much we value others, ourselves, the world around us and even life itself.
Create an environment of respect in your home.
Communicate that respect is the standard for all home behavior—respect for the household rules, the individual child and the parent and/or parents. Even if it feels a little awkward, go overboard to show your children you respect them and that you believe that they are capable of acting respectfully, too. In doing this, you will influence their behavior everywhere else they go. Respect is a value that is taught best by being demonstrated, then imitated. In your home, encourage each person to give and receive respect.
Allow plenty of room for second chances.
If your children aren’t accustomed to showing respect, they may fail often. That’s okay. Respect isn’t easy to teach. Offer them an opportunity for a “do over.” You can ask them, “Would you like to try that again, but this time with respect?” When you offer the kindness of a second chance with the expectation that they will succeed, you model respect again. You show them that they really are able to be respectful.
We have a choice in the way we respond.
If respect is something that is new to your child or something he or she has trouble grasping, your child may need redirection. They may need you to tell them exactly what the right behavior is. Regardless of what it takes to get them there, praise them every time they attempt to show respect.
© 2007 Core Essentials, Inc. All rights reserved. www.coreessentials.org
Posted by: diannerichardson
| @ October 2, 2007 1:27:33 PM EDT ( ) |
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