My oldest daughter is only six, but I’ve quickly learned that my girls require a slightly different approach in how we teach them good character. Oh, the rules are still the same for our boys and girls, but our daughters are more sensitive, and sometimes talking to our oldest daughter is all it takes for her to understand what she has done wrong. Developing good character is not something that comes easily. It takes years and years to acquire. I’m sure many of us would say we’re still working at acquiring it.
There are many different ways to help our daughters to acquire good character and we should take every opportunity to instruct them in the ways of truth and righteousness. Such lessons should be taught as often as possible and not just at the morning Scripture study.
Here are some ways I try to teach good character to my daughter.
Teach them kindness while they play
When I was little I remember being upset and throwing my doll down on the floor. My mom took my doll away for the day after explaining to me that I needed to treat my dolls with kindness and be good stewards of them. I have done the same thing with my daughters, as I never forgot that lesson (and I wanted my doll back!).
Teach them diligence through chores
Chore time is a wrestle in many a home. Ours is no exception, but creating a routine helps. Working through the tears and unwillingness will help them years later when they are homemakers in their own home. We need to teach our daughters that we work at our chores until they are done, and praise them for chores that are well done!
Teach them obedience during schoolwork
Trying to juggle being a mom and a teacher can be hard for homeschooling moms. Our children need to obey our instructions, whether we teach them all day at home or help them with homework in the evening. Currently I’m teaching our third child to read. This child does not particularly enjoy learning how to read, but it’s something that must be done and she is learning obedience through these lessons. Routine and accountability go a long ways towards helping children to complete their schoolwork.
Teach them compassion through helping others
Many times we try to shield our children from pain and suffering. We want their childhood to be full of innocence and pleasant memories. Sadly, that’s not always possible though. We need to look for opportunities for our children to learn how to be compassionate to the sick, the hungry, the poor, or the elderly. I grew up as a small child watching my mom occasionally suffer from seizures, then when I was 11 she was diagnosed with Lupus. I learned many things through that trial, and while I know my mom wished she could spare me, it was an excellent way to build character.
Praise them for their good efforts!
So many times we tend to focus on the negative side of things with our children. All we see looming before us are the character flaws that we need to work on. Your children need you to encourage them when they’re doing a good job in any area of their life. Recognizing this need in our own home, my husband created the Character Badges program to help us be more consistent in not just correcting the negative behavior, but in encouraging our children and actually rewarding them for good behavior! The Little Character Badges program is good for children ages 3-5 and the main program is for ages 5-12. Our children love working towards earning badges and rewards for their good behavior.
Each day brings new challenges as a parent. If we start our day looking for the positive in our children, it will greatly impact our relationship with them, for the better!