Today's Recommended Resources on International Adoption

SelfDiscipline The Character Builder 3 Ways to Instill It in Your Kids
By: Jean Tracy

In Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inaugural Speech, he instructs us to be brilliant, successful, talented, and fabulous. Do your kids lack the self-discipline to become such a person? Are you uncomfortable showing them the way? Would you like to know how to instill self-discipline? Here's 3 ways to help your kids be the fabulous people they were meant to be.

Build Character with Chores

First, start giving your children age appropriate chores. Perhaps, when they're 3 years old, they'll start putting their toys away. Maybe they'll get dressed with some help or empty their bath water. As they get older, teach them to set the table, sweep, dust, and help fix meals. By the time they're nine they can wash and dry clothes, take out the garbage, start dinner and much, much more. You are teaching them to take care of themselves, a valuable skill for life. You are teaching them self-discipline too.

Build Character with Earning Power

Second, teach your kids to earn what they want. If you smother your children with material things today, you'll be creating the gripers, groaners, and grumblers of tomorrow. They'll grow up thinking the world owes them. Do your kids a favor now. Let them earn what they want. Give them a feeling of accomplishment. You'll be teaching self-discipline too.

Build Character with Goals

Third, teach them to create and achieve goals. Goals take consistent effort. Having a goal without effort is like having a front porch without steps. Coach your children to create and climb the stairs step by step. If your child wants to be the pitcher on the baseball team, encourage your child to practice. If your child wants to pass to the next level in gymnastics, encourage your child to practice. If your child wants to learn multiplication tables, encourage your child to practice. The steps to achieving goals takes practice, practice, practice. When you coach your children to achieve their goals, you help them make their dreams come true. You are teaching them self-discipline too.

When children take care of themselves through chores, they build character. When children earn the things they want, they build character. When children create and achieve goals, they build character. With character, they become brilliant, successful, talented and fabulous, all because you led the way.

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