Maridel Willer

I received an email today from a friend asking for book suggestions to help build character in children, in particular how to help a child who is hurt and offended when they are ignored by a friend who is playing with someone else. 

You can approach this issue by teaching your children how to treat others with respect, how to forgive others who do not treat you with respect, and how to choose a good friend (how to identify character in others).  Here are some resources for you, all of which can be used for family devotions.  

“A Child’s Book of Character Building” (Books 1 and 2):  Each book has 12 character traits with a scripture and 4 short stories illustrating the trait in the bible, at school, at home and at play.  Book 2 includes a section on  forgiveness.  These are good to read aloud and discuss with ages 4 to 10.  My children enjoyed these stories and my 8 year old daughter reads them herself for fun. 

There are 2 fun books by Joshua Harris:  “Rules for Young Friends” and “Uncommon Courtesy for Kids” that have a list of rules with coloring pages for each and a list of scriptures. 

A more in depth bible study for families is “Character Building for Families”, volumes 1 and 2.  You spend a week to a month on a character trait doing daily bible studies that involve looking up scripture and answering questions together.  I am planning to use this in the fall as part of our homeschooling curriculum.

In addition to devotions, using wonderful literature from years past is a very good way to build character.  Today’s children have a shallow understanding of real suffering.  Their empathy can increase by reading stories that depict real life suffering.  Older literature does this in a way to build character and teach morals.  Today’s books for children no longer do that and often teach bad morals. 

A really great book to read aloud or listen to on tape (because it is long!) is “Elsie Dinsmore” by Martha Finley.   It was written in 1868 and is about an 8 yr old girl who is unfairly treated by others due to her unfortunate circumstances.  The little girl’s love for Jesus and how she turns to him for comfort is very powerful.   

Other wonderful, heart warming 18^th and 19^th century literature that builds character in your children can be found at www.graceandtruthbooks.com  (in paperbacks – reasonable prices) and www.lamplighterpublishing.com (heirloom quality hardback books).

Have you ever considered that the calling of motherhood requires 2 quite different things from us?

On one hand, I need to be a nurturer, on the other hand, I must attend to the daily tasks of being a keeper at home.  Some women find one of the 2 roles to be a bit easier than the other, but both of them are challenging to most moms that I know.

How can I become really good at 2 such different things?  I must remember that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. God is both relational and practical, and I am created in His image.  In His relational role, He loves us and calls us into relationship with Him.  In His practical role, He set the world in motion with concrete laws over which He rules and reigns in righteousness.

Here are some ideas to help you grow in both aspects of God’s Character.

Relational

1. Nurture your family relationships by purposing to spend a lot of time with them doing things that you all enjoy.  Your children are only with you for a short season.  Make the most of it by purposing to make family time a high priority.

2. Help your children learn about God and understand who they are in Christ.

3. Cultivate the God given talents and abilities in your children and help them find productive ways to express them and serve others with them.

4. Grow in character yourself through bible study and prayer.  Pray for your family to be an example of God’s love to a lost world.

Practical

1. Get your home in order to help you live a peaceful, productive and purposeful life.

2. Become a good steward of your time, property and finances.

3. Create a daily and weekly routine for your family that helps you accomplish all that God has planned for you.