The last NDCHEA meeting for this school year was held on Tuesday, May 13. Our topic was "Character Training." Becky graciously facilitated this discussion on the importance of character training and some tools that can be used to undertake it.
As Christians, character training is essentially training in godliness. Scripture encourages us repeatedly to be like God. Some character traits come naturally to us, but more often than not, they are gained through habitual practice. Therefore, as Christian parents, we must endeavor to form habits of Godly character in ourselves and in our children. Often the formation of character comes through trials, but we can also teach some of these traits.
Story books can be used to teach positive character qualities. One set, recommended for children beginning at ages 8-10 can be purchased at www.graceandtruthbooks.com. Search for "The Children's Character Building Collection." It is a set of eleven books. Another book, recommended for ages 5-10, is "A Hive of Busy Bees." It can also be purchased at the same website.
For grades K-3, Becky has used a book called, "A Child's Book of Character Training." It has easy definitions of several character qualities, such as faith and diligence, as well as stories and applications for each. For all elementary school ages, she has used a more extensive program called "Laying Down the Rails," which is available at www.simplycharlottemason.com.
I know it is easy for me to put aside formal character training because our family is very focused on academics. However, I thought even I could take time to read aloud and discuss some of these stories with my children as a way to encourage them to develop a Christ-like character. It also never hurts to have those reminders for myself!
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