Top 5 Ways to Promote Good Character in Your Child

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Character should not just be a cartoon hero for your child.

Character refers to the behavior that your child displays that reveals the good qualities he has, such as trustworthiness, compassion, kindness. I think you can easily agree that today's children are not only lacking manners and some discipline, but also lacking character.
You can decide today that your child will grow up to be a man or woman of good character. But where do you start?
There are five great places to begin.

1. Bible 

Read the Bible and Bible stories with your children.

If you've never read the Bible, start with a children's Bible story book. Get some of these stories of Bible heroes into your kids' heads.
One of my favorite stories is about Joseph, son of Jacob. His brothers were jealous of him, and they tried to get rid of him. He was sold as a slave, and used that opportunity to be a trusted servant of his master. Then he was falsely accused by the master's wife and thrown in jail. In that circumstance, he kept believing God would deliver him. Eventually he became a leader in Egypt, second only to the Pharoah himself. In this position he had the opportunity to deal harshly with his brothers, but he loved them. Read a story like this, and then, depending on their ages, you can ask critical thinking questions,such as, "What would you do in that situation?" or "If you are falsely accused, how can you react?"
The Bible also has incredible examples of forgiveness...ask about what is a forgivable offense (the answer is "anything" because Jesus forgives us).
Thirdly, the Bible has great stories of bad characters who were justly punished.
Then, there are chapters of Proverbs, which contain verses of instruction.
The Bible is the perfect teaching tool!

Rent a Movie to help you Tell the Story 

001- Facing the Giants

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002- Conversations with God

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003- Jeremiah: The Bible

Jeremiah tells the story of the prophet who abandons his family, and also the woman he loves, in ord...
004- Solomon: The Bible

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005- God and Buddha: A Dialogue

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2. Be the Example 

You are being watched at all times.

Whether you like it or not, you are the main example your child follows. The scary thing is that your child sees you in your weak times (in anger, depression, frustration) as well as in your good times. But that's okay. Nobody's perfect.
The great thing about being a good example is that your child respects you. If you try to approach parenting with "Do as I say and not what I do", you will lose their respect.
The important thing is to raise the bar for yourself before you expect perfection from your children.
If you want your child to say please and thank-you, you have to say it to them. If you want your child to help you without hesitation, you have to stop what you're doing when they need help. Don't live with a double standard.

3. Give Your Child A Pet 

Unconditional Love and Responsibility - A Winning Combination

Children should feel important and confident, but a child should never think they are the center of the universe.
Children can learn responsibility through having a pet. They are caring for "someone" other than themselves. In return they can receive unconditional love, "someone" who will listen when nobody else will. Believe it or not, even a $2 Betta Fish can fill this purpose.

Some resources to make it easy 

VirtueGame

VirtueGame

Can you be trusted with a treasured pet fish? Or n more...1 point

Highland 20045 Universal Pet Barrier

Highland 20045 Universal Pet Barrier

Universal pet barrier safely keeps your pet in the more...0 points

Littlest Pet Shop Pajamas with Slippers

Littlest Pet Shop Pajamas with Slippers

These fun pajamas feature a Littlest Pet Shop prin more...0 points

Petmate Le Bistro Electronic Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder, Black

Petmate Le Bistro Electronic Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder, Black

For cats, frequent small meals are more natural, p more...0 points

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier

Bestselling author Cesar Millan takes his principl more...0 points

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a fam more...0 points

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy (Fancy Nancy) by Jane O'connor

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy (Fancy Nancy) by Jane O'connor

Fancy Nancy is back! And when her family decides more...0 points

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin

Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional l more...0 points

The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete

The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete

The monks of New Skete have been breeding and trai more...0 points

101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog by Kyra Sundance, Chalcy

101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog by Kyra Sundance, Chalcy

Featuring step-by-step photos of every trick in th more...0 points

4. Assign Chores 

Put it in writing.

Make a chore chart or chore list. You can assign a reward, allowance, or sticker.
Chores give your child a feeling of belonging and being needed. They will learn that they need to not only pick up after themselves, but they also need to help others. They will take pride in helping others and do it more often.

Show Them How 

Acer Aspire One Memory Upgrading

Runtime: 2:38 | 326822 views | 292 Comments

 

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5. Discipline 

But do it in Love

Each child responds to a different form of discipline. You should get to know what works for your child. I would recommend starting with time-out or taking things away.
It is important for Character Education that discipline is enforced in love.
This means that we don't punish in anger, we don't yell and make it an emotional episode. Then it becomes about how the child can please you. You are not trying to raise a child who will please you, but a child who will earn respect and respect others.
Respect your child in the discipline. You can be insistent. You can increase the degree of punishment based on the child's reaction to the punishment. BUT you should not take it personally and start yelling or hitting.
There are many good books about disciplining in a calm and planned manner. I will list some here.
Think about it - if you were speeding, you wouldn't expect the policeman to threaten you and call you an idiot when he pulls you over. That would be ridiculous! Why do we think we can behave this way toward our kids? This all goes back to Item Number 2 - Be The Example.

Discipline with these resources 

Discipline with Love

Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 11/08/2009) Buy Now

What Does Miss Manners Say Today? 

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by hallmomof5

I am a Christian mom of 5. My oldest is a Junior at James Madison University, and I homeschool the other 4. I am also a co-author of www.Flomom.com
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