As my kids were growing up, I sometimes neglected daily character lessons because I just didn’t know how to focus on and teach specific Godly character traits that were needed. Other times I forgot to be intentional about how to focus on and teach specific Godly character traits.
Looking back, I’m realizing that it is better to just start doing something even if it is just a little teaching. Over time I developed a pattern for teaching each of the specific traits.
To help you be intentional in this part of parenting, I’d like to share an example of how I do this. This method I’m sharing is taken directly from the lesson on courage in my Little Lads & Ladies of Virtue Character Curriculum.
(For this example, I will give ideas for teaching courage.)
1. Teach your children the meaning or definition of each character trait.
For example…” courage is doing the right thing even when it’s difficult.”
2. Teach what living out each character trait looks like.
Courage is facing your fears with confidence. Courage can be physical, like jumping from a diving board, or moral, like doing the right thing when your friends may laugh at you.
It doesn’t just have to be something you are scared of, but also means doing the honest or right thing.
2. Teach and memorize a Bible verse that relates to a specific character trait.
One of my favorite teaching verses for Character training is 2 Timothy 1:7:
Remind your children that fear is not of God. He has not given us that spirit, but rather a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. When they are afraid they need to claim His power.
3. Teach character traits with hands-on activities or games.
Talk about the courage of David in the story of David & Goliath.
Then play the game David, David, Goliath. (Same as Duck, Duck, Goose)
Have the kids sit in a circle on the floor. Choose one to walk around tapping each child’s head saying “David, David, David.” When they say “Goliath” the child they tapped chases them around the circle to his old spot.
Then you can talk about the courage of David in the story of David & Goliath.
4. Define and discuss character traits through roleplay.
Have the kids make a fort they can hide behind. Have them stand beside it, and when you read a statement that shows courage, they should stand in front of the fort and stand tall and brave.
When the statement shows foolishness or a lack of courage, have them hide behind the fort.
Some of the statements you can use are:
5. Give positive feedback and encouragement.
When you see one of the kids showing courage, praise them and let them know how pleased you are. That encourages them (and the other kids) to try to show good character.
Using a chart and giving them check marks or stickers each time they show good character is a great way to keep you looking for the opportunity to give positive feedback, rather than noticing the negative behavior more often than the positive.
Did you miss the other posts in the challenge? Visit here to read more!
63 Responses
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Thank you for this series…this is just what I need right now!
So glad that you have not only been encouraged by the articles, but also found them practical! Like you said, the key is starting with little steps and just sticking with it.
Melanie, glad you found it helpful! 🙂
What an amazing idea. As a Mom of one I feel completely clueless with practical ways to teach my daughter correct character (and she is a super energized child!) as there seems to be limited resources for really simple and easy ways to do this. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much for such easy but impactful points. Never used David’s story for this purpose.
God bless.
Your articles are very encouraging and realistic I see myself in places I need to work on and you show how simple it is just start little by little
Thank you for making something (that feels so overwhelming!) so practical and applicable 🙂 I think a lot of us overthink it and exhaust ourselves and then underthink it! 😉
Thanks so much for this 10 day challenge. It has been so challenging & encouraging! Very thankful for you & your ministry!
I have been looking for a good character trait curriculum for months but nothing has really fit with our religion and what I wanted. I was feeling so defeated and ready to give up on the search but prayed and then this fantastic post popped up in my inbox. I have been so busy and had no time to even check my personal emails but this one kept popping out at me so I made a point to make time for this and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have come across this. I apologize for the long comment but I really just wanted you to know how genuinely huge of a blessing this is to my family! Hopefully this will still be available in a few days when payday hits because we really do need this! I just finished doing the above listed exercise with my 5 kids and they loved it just as much as I did. Thank you truly for the time and effort you put in to making this!
Thank you, Kathie, for encouraging us to build Godly character in our children! I appreciate your wisdom as a mom who’s been through this before!
Thank you for these lessons! We are raising two grandbabies and are using your lessons to help us teach them Godly character traits.
Thank you for the great ideas, Kathy! My oldest son loves the story of David and Goliath but I’d never thought to use it as a character lesson!!
Ana Derenoncourt
You’re welcome!
Thank you for breaking this down into steps and making it so practical.
You’re welcome! Hope you & your kids enjoy it!
You’re welcome! So happy to know you are enjoying it!
I’m really enjoying this series. Thank you.
Ty so much for the free sample of the curriculum! I’m excited to start using it 🙂
I read all the post since the beginning of this challenge. I’m really encouraged to focus more on character building . I would like to win this book to help me teaching Godly character to my 4 children.
We’re about to embark on a year long journey of teaching our kids the basic character traits presented in the Bible. We’ll be starting with honoring God & others. I’ve got a good idea for all the other traits, but this 1st one of honor seems a bit daunting and I believe it’s the foundation to all the others. I love the Character Corner & the resources.
Love to hear that!!
I have used your Little Lads and Ladies curriculum as part of my homeschool curriculum with our 4 children and LOVE it. We actually extend the lessons with read-aloud stories & some kind of challenge that goes with the topic. We spend 2-4 weeks on each topic. My 1 year old doesn’t get a whole lot out of it yet, but the 3, 5, and 7 year old memorize the verses, the I WILLS, and the definitions. Thank you for your encouragement to start with teaching character.
Loving your series. Reading your posts again and again to remind me to be intentional in teaching character! Thank you.
Teresa, I lover that your daughter is memorizing the Bible verses so quickly, and is enjoying the curriculum! It’s great that you
are starting with her at a young age.
Thank you for all of this wonderful information!
Thank you for all of this information!
I am loving this series! Thank you for the wise wisdom you’ve given on character training!
May God bless you and your family for your faithfulness in serving Him. I love your heart and devotion in this series as well as so many other teachings you have shared. They have been a great blessing to my family as I’m sure to all those you take the time to read and put into practise the Godly wisdom you so graciously share. I love how you walk in obedient devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thank you for all the wisdom you share with us younger mom’s!
I have enjoyed reading through this series. Thank you!
I am learning so much from this series. Thank you so much. 🙂
Good insight that will benefit my three. It is great to get your knowledge and experience and be able to apply it to our lives. Thank you for being a servant of the Lord.
Really appreciate these tips! I’ve got 4 kiddos 5 and under and I truly desire to raise them know the Lord and to have godly character. Again, thanks for the encouragement.
I appreciate learning more about building Godly character in my kids – unfortunately, I’ve missed the opportunity to ‘teach them while they’re young’ – but I don’t think it’s too late – but I will have to modify things a little bit to be more age appropriate (the years of duck, duck, goose are long past)
Thank you for your insight and wisdom!
Our amazing Lord is using you mightily to renew my mind in training up my children for Christ. Wow! You’re a truly wise woman of God and I appreciate you TREMENDOUSLY! Praise God!
Thank you for helping all us moms out here, trying to train our children. My favorite post has been just start with one. I know this but my I got to get it all done just over powers me, so I think o could do 2 or 3 characters. But one for a couple week was la eye opener 🤦♀️. It’s ok to just do one. Thanks
The daily encouragement to build character in our kids has been a tremendous help! We have really benefited from the resources on your site. I know that as we put God’s Word into our kids hearts it will produce a harvest of righteousness!
Thank you for today’s post.
Thank for the series! It is helpful!
This series is quite helpful! Thank you!
I’m enjoying the email series. Thank you for the giveaway.
I really appreciate the examples. Thank you!
Thank you for both explaining your process and providing prewritten lessons. As a teacher by training, I prefer to understand a method that I can then use and adapt, but as a very pregnant mama, I often need to rely on someone else’s prep work or the teaching never gets done. We’re in a ‘character training crisis’ with our kids at the moment, brought on by a perfect storm of factors, but one of them is that we don’t want to copy our parents’ methods but haven’t found a good alternative. Finding your blog has felt like the missing piece to tie together some of the things we have learned elsewhere and make them usable.
Thank you for the instruction. What do you do when you have older children whom you have been diligent with, but they just don’t care, your spouse just finds a way to disappear when there is conflict and it is affecting the littler ones?
You’ve inspired me to start purposefully character training with my children.
Thank you
Thank you for this series as we are trying to make up for missed opportunity with a school aged child we are in the process of adopting. This series has been extremely helpful.
Thank you for showing step by step way to teach the character traits. Sometimes it’s hard to know what exactly to do besides just exaplib what it means and give an example!
I have enjoyed your lessons and e-mails. They all have been very encouraging to myself and for my child.
Thanks for this daily wisdom.
I really like how you breK down the lesson. I love the hands on/game approach. As a working mom, your book would be so helpful since it is hard to find time to plan activities to do at home.
I am ally’s enjoying this series and will be trying many of your suggestions.
This email series is exactly what I needed right now. Thank you so much for putting it out! It has been a great source of encouragement and conviction to parent my little ones.
Thanks for your encouragement to commit to the long haul. Especially with preschoolers it feels a bit daunting and it’s hard to see progress!
Two weeks ago I began the Little Lads and Ladies curriculum with my 3.5yo daughter. I am amazed at how quickly she has memorized the Bible verses and virtue definitions… and she has had so much fun doing it! Praying that all these lessons are shaping her heart! Thank you.
Your email series is timely. God is good. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insights.
This looks like a great book!
Great ideas!! Thank you for these posts. They have been very helpful.
Thank you for this series. It is so helpful and today’s message came at the right time. I truly needed the encouragement to press on and keep trying. Thank you for the opportunity. It would be such a blessing.
I appreciate the practical steps you give to help get started putting what I’ve read about into practice.
Thanks for this series, i like the way you bring out character training using God’s word