10 kids | Mission: Raising Children

21 Sep Mission: Raising Children

Posted at 11:04h in Children, Education, Leadership by Irene Freundorfer 0 Comments

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The best thing that we could want for our children is for them to grow up to be loving individuals who have personal and moral integrity. More than a high paying job, good looks or personal success, we want our kids to be people of integrity who are confident, competent and consistent with their values. The world needs people who

can put the needs of others ahead of their own
give their word and mean it
be loyal in the face of adversity
be willing to sacrifice for another without complaining
be totally faithful to their commitments
put people ahead of things
always treat people with respect, recognizing their great dignity
be sincere and not pretend to be something they are not

… and much more.

The bottom line is we need to raise our kids to have good character, to be virtuous. All this boils down to good habits. They don’t happen overnight. They may take years to form, but we set down the building blocks from the time they are small – by our words, by our demands and most of all by our own example. The strength of their character will greatly depend on the foundation we have laid. When I recently attended a volleyball game for my son, I saw a poster on the wall that summed this up quite well. The poem is written by Frank Outlaw and says:

It’s All About Character

Watch your thoughts
They become words
Watch your words
They become actions
Watch your actions
They become habits
Watch your habits
They become character
Watch your character
It becomes your destiny.

Parents need to form this character in their children day by day through their vigilance and love. Results take time and the effort is worthwhile. The whole structure of integrity will be built on four major pillars upon which all the rest hinge. They are:

self-control (temperance)
sound judgement (prudence)
personal toughness (fortitude)
responsibility (justice)

When we keep these four main ingredients in mind and look for ways to solidify them, we are doing an enormous good for our children’s futures. Why? Because focusing on prestigious careers, financial success, great education etc. etc. is not enough. Even with all the material things working out, our kids will need the wherewithal to make it in their marriage, to think of others and to know how to deal with tough times in a sporting way. When you focus on character as your primary mission, all the rest will take care of itself. No matter what the future holds, our kids will have the backbone to take on the adventure.

Realize your efforts will go further when you have a good relationship with your child. In Love While Parenting is a free app that provides the latest research on how to achieve this. Short, easy, professional advice well worth having.

Using reading, audios, movies and stories to help underscore character building. William Bennet, former U.S. Minister of Education compiled stories for children you may be interested in owning or listening to as an audio: The Children’s Book of Virtues, The Book of Virtues, The Moral Compass. These books inspired the TV series Adventures from the Book of Virtues, which are on-line for viewing. Sean Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and Make Your Bed by William McRaven are great reads for teens.

Here are some excellent articles to help you understand what it’s all about: