How do you teach your kids character?

1. 68

   thebookmomposted 13 years ago

   How do you teach your kids character?

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2. 74

   VirginiaLynneposted 13 years ago

   Like you, I enjoy using books and read out loud time to teach my kids how to understand other people and also how to act themselves in different sorts of situations.  We often talk about these character issues during the day using the stories we are reading.  I wrote a hub about Teaching you Kids about God which really is also teaching character values through books, songs and daily life.  Right now I'm reading a wonderful series called the American Adventure Series--around 50 books which tell American history through a family.  The one I read tonight has the story of smallpox in Boston and the child in the story has to decide how to handle many difficult situations.

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3. 69

   teaches12345posted 13 years ago

   Role modeling is the best example in teaching good character to children.  As children face difficult situations or have to make decisions, parents can use this experience to teach values that last. Also, reading good books on character building, watching some quality movies that teach life lessons, talking about people's mistakes (and how they could have voided them) are all good ways to build character.

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4. 0

   Tina Trueloveposted 13 years ago

   We taught our kids character through teaching them Biblical principles.  We read the Bible to them and took them to church every week - and more often than just Sunday mornings.  We also supplemented with Bible stories and a wealth of other books, not necessarily by Christian writers.  There are so many ways to teach children to grow up gracefully.  We even used television - how dare we?! 
   
   There are lots of television shows and movies which can also teach children to live by standards which demonstrate positive character, but we had to be selective.  We were always very strict about what our children were exposed to.
   
   I agree with the person who suggested role modeling.  All the things above mean nothing if parents don't demonstrate quality character themselves. 
   
   Now, our children are 14, 17, and 19 and all three of them demonstrate knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in the decisions they make every day . . . well, most days . . . they are still teenagers. 

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5. 88

   stephhicks68posted 13 years ago

   Model the behavior yourself and, like others have suggested below, use other experiences (real life, movies, books) to discuss decisions made by other people. 
   
   Integrity involves matching your behavior to your ideals and values.  So, start with the underlying principles and build a discussion from there regarding decision choices.  Praise your child when you "catch them" showing integrity and good character, instead of only focusing on making corrections.

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6. 60

   sandusposted 13 years ago

   i will teach the kids with certain experiences in action. it should be with the help of cartoon character so that kids can understand easily.

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