Children is the mirror of their parents. Simplest example : how can you ask your kids to eat green veggie or not to be a picky eater while yourself don't eat veggie and a picky eater yourself? Or ask your kids to eat healthy food while the parents binged on Chips and Coke on daily basis? Be real....
I just want to share this articles here by Laura Lee Ellis and hope you enjoy it!
You have a vision for the kind of people you want your children to become...but then life happens. Dinner must appear; the laundry pile grows; toddlers demand attention. How do you successfully instill character in your children as a natural part of your life?
Character is caught, not taught.
Your children are watching. Parents often underestimate the power of a living example. When you make right choices in front of your children and explain why you make certain choices, they are more likely to act in a similar way when they face difficult situations.
Thought-provoking literature and discussion make life-lessons memorable.
Conversations with your children form the foundation for their character. As a homeschool parent, you have a unique opportunity to experience life with your children and to spark discussion about topics that matter.
Books can serve as great conversation starters. Every good story has conflict—use the ethical dilemmas in good books to help your child learn how to make right choices.
Help your children experience character in context—a key aspect of life, not a chore to complete.
You can be sure your family will encounter countless opportunities to grow in character naturally as you read and talk about thought-provoking books. You don’t have to tack on a character-based checklist in addition to the studies you and your children already do. Be efficient!
Simple ideas you can try today to help your child develop character...
Talk with your children about the books you read.
Ask questions to help them think critically:
Work together while you talk
- What would you have done in this situation?
- What kind of consequences do you think could come with this character’s actions?
- How do you think this character showed bravery (or kindness, or honesty, etc.)?
My mom and I engaged in some of our best conversations while we dried dishes or weeded the flower bed. The work gave our hands something to do while our minds, mouths and hearts took over! Encourage your children to work alongside you. You’ll help them develop a good work ethic, and grow together through your discussions.
Affirm right choices
Do you find you focus only on the situations where your child disobeys? Be sure to affirm the right choices they make as well. When your children faithfully obey, let them know how proud you are. When they give you an honest answer when they’re in trouble, follow through on discipline, but reward their honesty. As a parent, you know your child best. Tailor your responses in a way that will help them grow.
Enjoy these days with your children and come and share in the Sonlight community.
Make the most of your own example, intentional discussions, great literature, and everyday experiences to help your children blossom into confident people of character. Feel free to explore Sonlight and find out more ways we seek to help you and your family grow and learn together.
1 comment:
People used to think it was necessary to "spank" adult members of the community, military trainees, and prisoners. In some countries they still do. In our country, it is considered sexual battery if a person over the age of 18 is "spanked", but only if over the age of 18.
For one thing, because the buttocks are so close to the sex organs and so multiply linked to sexual nerve centers, striking them can trigger powerful and involuntary sexual stimulus in some people. There are numerous physiological ways in which it can be sexually abusive, but I won't list them all here. One can use the resources I've posted if they want to learn more. All materials listed may be accessed at the website of Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education at www.nospank.net.
Child buttock-battering vs. DISCIPLINE:
Child buttock-battering (euphemistically labeled "spanking","swatting","switching","smacking", "paddling",or other cute-sounding names) for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit.
Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit.
I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do.
There are several reasons why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals:
Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak,
The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson,
NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D.
Most compelling of all reasons to abandon this worst of all bad habits is the fact that buttock-battering can be unintentional or intentional sexual abuse for some children. There is an abundance of educational resources, testimony, documentation, etc available on the subject that can easily be found by doing a little research with the recommended reads-visit the website of Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education at www.nospank.net.
Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea:
American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
American Psychological Association,
Center For Effective Discipline,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In 26 countries, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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