“How would you like your child to be known? Children will not develop (character) traits on their own. They need your guidance.” (Awake!, “Six Lessons Children Need to Learn”, Vol.100 No. 2019).
oOo
Parents are the first teachers of their children. Hence, this article, which deals with value formation, will be very helpful not only to parents and would-be parents, and teachers but also to literate children. As a saying goes, “We reap what we sow”. Character building is very important to our children because their character is their personal foundation. And people must have strong personal foundation to really succeed in life.
The “six lessons children need to learn” per this “Awake!” magazine are: 1) The Benefits of Self-Control”, 2) How to Be Humble, 3) How to Be Resilient, 4) How to Be Responsible 5) The Value of Adult Evidence, and 6) The need for Moral Values.
Below are some of the highlights of these “six lessons children need to learn:
1. On self-control. It is about the ability to resist temptations. It includes the following: ability to delay gratification; ability to restrain impulses; ability to complete unpleasant task; ability to put others before self. Without self-control the consequences are: aggressiveness; depressions/vices; poor judgment. May I add susceptible to negative influences; Biblibcal verses to guide our children; “Let your word, “Yes” means yes and your “No” means no.”; What you sow, you reap”, Make sure of the more important things; I set the pattern for you, that just as I did to you, you should also do.
2. Be Humble. It is about humility. Its opposite is pride or being haughty. It is a strength rather than a weakness. It includes taking real interest in others, is willing learn from them, respectful, and Knowing his/her limitations.
Biblical verse to guide our children: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving himself.”
3. Be Resilient. It means the ability to bounce or spring back or recover or not easily discouraged of setbacks.
Biblical verses to guide our children: “Failure is inevitable in some endeavor”; Adversity affects everyone at some point; Correction is vital for l earning; The righteous one may fall several times, and he will get up again; You do not know wht your life will be like tomorrow; Listen to counsel in order to become wise in the future.
4. Be Responsible. It means being reliable. They accomplish their assigned task on time. It is most advisable to train our children to be responsible by involving them in our house chores, teaching them how to manage money, to study hard and do their homework, take responsibilities and to do other things themselves.
Biblical verses to guide our children: There is benefit in every kind of hard work; Listen to counsel and accept discipline, in order to become wise in your future; Children make mistakes. Mistakes have educational benefits in learning lessons from these. They must be honest and admit their errors and promise to do better next time around.
5. Value Adult Guidance. It means appreciating and accepting pieces of advice of their elders. No doubt, children need mentoring from adults. Hence, parents must spend quality time with their siblings.
Biblical verses to guide our children: “Mature people have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong; Keep proving what you yourselves are; Maintain a good conscience.
6. Need for Moral Values. It means knowing between right and wrong, and practicing the former not the latter. When values are practiced and internalized, these become virtues.
Biblical verses to guide our children: “Mature people have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong; Maintain a good conscience.
Parents and adults who will teach these six lessons to our children can effectively if they do this by example. The pieces of advice found in this article are Bible based. Our Holy Book contains “the best guidance for sound living. Its principles can improve a person’s thinking ability and sound judgment.
Biblical wisdom illuminates the world and empowers people to be able to transform the world and ourselves for the better.
Here is a maxim which this writer composed years ago relevant to our topic at hand:
“Sow holy fear and love of God. Reap faith in the Lord; Sow faith in the Lord; reap strong desire to be good; Sow strong desire to be good; reap values; Sow values; reap practice of values; Sow practice of values; reap virtues; Sow virtues; reap, good and strong character; Sow good and strong character; reap success; Sow success; reap sharing. Sow sharing; with Go’s grace reap the Kingdom of God?
