Building Character

This post is by regular contributor Cath Oehlman aka Squigglemum.

Character is higher than intellect.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is of little traits that the greatest human character is composed.
William Winter

Every human being is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do.
William Henry Channing

What are your best character traits?  If your best friend had to sum you up in three words, what would they be? Perhaps you are witty, confident, and reliable.  Or maybe you are loyal, sociable, and daring.  Which words would you use to describe your child’s character?

Character is tricky to define.  The word originally came from Ancient Greek, and referred to the markings pressed into a coin. Today the word refers more to the mark of a person, and encompasses a range of attributes, qualities and behaviours.  Some character traits are highly desirable, while others are less so!

Both of my children have many wonderful qualities, and some of these traits have been evident from a very young age.  For example, my daughter has a vivid imagination, while my son is an excellent problem solver.  These strengths have been apparent since they were toddlers, and I expect that they will continue to be evident into adulthood.  They are not qualities I have “taught” but rather those which are naturally part of their make up.

Other character traits are learned.  Often we talk about how difficult experiences can be “character building” for a child. But I wonder, is character only built through trial? Can we intentionally, and proactively build character traits into our kids through positive experiences?

I hope the answer is yes!  In addition to those traits I see innately occurring in my children, I hope that I can further build beneficial attributes, qualities and behaviours into their lives. My husband and I value integrity, honesty, respect and kindness – and so these are some of the character traits we would love to see growing in our kids.  This means we need to set an example, living out these attributes as parents and as people ourselves.

Every family is of course different, made up of unique individuals and a set of family values. Which character traits are highly regarded in your home?  What would you like to build into your children’s lives?  And which attributes are already evident in your family?  While far from exhaustive, the alphabet of character traits below may help you to think through this topic further.

Adventurous
Bold
Conscientious
Diligent
Enthusiastic
Friendly
Generous
Honest
Imaginative
Joyful
Kind
Logical
Mature
Neat
Optimistic
Polite
Quiet
Responsible
Sensitive
Trustworthy
Unselfish
Vulnerable
Wise
eXuberant
Young-at-heart
Zany

Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

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3 Comments

  1. What a great starting place for families to actually think about what is important to them. We recently did something like this at a family camp. The kids helped us come up with our top 3 values. One of these days I’ll put them on the wall as a great reminder!

  2. Pingback: All about Character » Miss Pass It On

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