He quickly folded his hands, placed them in his lap, and looked very remorseful, but only for a moment. As soon as I looked back to the preacher, Jonathan rolled out of his seat and began crawling under the pews. That was the last straw. I chased him down, and we left church early.

This was not the first time I left a sermon early because my little Jonathan refused to control himself. But it was the first time that I wondered, if it was beyond the realm of possibility for a three-year-old to sit still and focus for a 45-minute service that was entirely beyond his understanding.

Maybe he was just too young, the service too long, and too boring. And then it occurred to me, maybe he just lacked training?

I lacked self-control until my sophomore year in high school. Then, I was sent to a boarding school in Virginia; a place called Fork Union Military Academy.

There, I, and many other boys just like me, learned self-control in just a few weeks. This amazed our parents, who had been working for years with teachers, principals, councilors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and sometimes even law enforcement; all which had failed to reform us. So, parents thought that our boarding school was working miracles; but we knew the school’s secret was no miracle.

Fork Union Military Academy simply put us all through self-control training.

How Do You Teach Kids Self Control

In the past, our parents and schools always told us to behave, but this was the first time we had been trained to behave. Our school used the same method that militaries have used for hundreds of years, to give soldiers discipline and self-control: the practice of coming to and maintaining attention.

To stand at attention, you must stand up straight, roll your shoulders back, head up, and chin slightly tucked. Put your heels together with toes spaced 45 degrees and clasp your hands at the seams of your pants. You look straight forward, and not just with your head, but also with your eyes. Your face must be void of all expression. You can’t move at all, not even to scratch. And you can’t talk.

You have probably seen soldiers standing at attention during formations or parades. It is not just some traditional display or ceremonial performance.

Fort Union Military Parade

The practice of maintaining attention was developed to take undisciplined, civil men and turn them into disciplined soldiers, with the self-control to tune out all the distractions and temptations of the world, in order to focus on the mission at hand.

In the military, self-control is a matter of life and death. Because war involves the ultimate terrors, pains, sorrow, and chaos, soldiers require the highest levels of self-control.

However, self-control is not only beneficial for soldiers in war. Children need it to learn how to read and write, clean their rooms, and sit through a boring church service.

And so, whenever any parent comes to me seeking advice for anything from teaching kids math or problems with picky-eaters, I always recommend that they start with self-control training, because once children have the ability to control themselves, the learning flows naturally.

A child who can sit still and focus when he is not being entertained, can learn anything he sets his mind to.

Master the art of training character!
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Self Control Game for Kids

That is how I helped my little Jonathan sit through church service. Instead of scolding him time and time again, I had him sit at our dining table for a simple game of attention.

At first, we set a timer for just one minute. We had Jonathan sit up straight, with his eyes forward and his hands at his side, without talking or fidgeting. He failed the first few times, but soon maintaining focus for a minute was too easy.

We made it fun by having his siblings make funny faces or loud noises to try and distract him. We bumped the time to two minutes, and so on, until little Jonathan could control himself as long as he needed.

Try It For A Child With Learning Issues

Many people think self-control is inherent, or tied to a child’s personality or maturity. So, when little children can’t focus on their school work, parents look for external solutions, like ways to make learning more fun, or they hirer special tutors, or even resort to medication, to help their kids focus.

But, self-control is largely a matter of training. The first time you go for a long run, you might get sick, and start cramping, and your muscles may feel like Jello, but there is nothing wrong with you. You don’t need a special coach or medicine, you just need to run more, to increase your body’s strength and endurance.

In the same way, children who can’t control themselves, often need more self-control training. How do you encourage self control in your children?

Check out more Character Development tips!

Get more tips on Parenting and Homeschooling

The post Increase Self Control in Your Kids with One Simple Game! first appeared on True Aim.

Are We There Yet? – A Lesson on Patience

Remember Donkey during his journey to the Kingdom of Far Far Away in the movie Shrek 2, where he repeatedly asked Shrek and Fiona, “Are we there yet?” We may have found that scene amusing, but Donkey’s impatience sure got on Shrek and Fiona’s nerves!

For all of us with kids, I’m sure we’ve been in Shrek and Fiona’s shoes more often than we’d like. So how do we teach our kids to be patient?

Play a Game to Teach Patience

Play a game of dominoes with your kids. Have them arrange the dominoes in a formation (either straight row or any creative pattern). After completing the formation, have fun watching the dominoes fall.

Tip

It is common to accidentally topple the dominoes while arranging the formation. Leave bigger gaps every now and then so that only small sections of the formation will topple (and not the entire formation) when this happens. Go back and carefully fill these gaps after you have completed the rest of the formation.

After the game, talk to your child about the game.

• Was it easy arranging the dominoes in the formation that you wanted?
• What were some difficulties that you encountered?
• How did you feel?

Explain that arranging the dominoes neatly is not easy and it takes time to do it well. When we are impatient and try to hurry, we can accidentally topple the dominoes. This can lead to frustration and we sometimes feel like giving up.

In the same way, in real life, we sometimes feel frustrated and want to give up. But God wants does not want us to give up doing good. God wants us to persevere.

Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Pray for Patience

Pray together with your child. Thank God for his love, patience and continual forgiveness. Confess to God those instances where you and your child have been impatient and ask for God’s forgiveness. Ask the Holy Spirit to produce patience in your lives.

Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Model Patience

Don’t forget that actions speak louder than words. Your child will notice those instances where you show impatience to the people around you, especially if he/she is the one bearing the brunt of it.

Don’t make excuses for yourself, but acknowledge your weakness to your child, humbly ask your child for forgiveness and pray together with your child for God’s forgiveness. If we model patience for our kids, there is a higher chance for our kids to learn to be patient!

Being patient is sometimes easy – like when we are doing things that we enjoy or dealing with people we like, or when we have something to look forward. But it can become challenging when we are doing something that is difficult or takes very long to do, or when we are dealing with difficult people or someone we don’t really like.

But God wants us to be patient with ourselves and with one another. If we walk closely with God and yield to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit produces good fruit in our lives, including patience!

View the full character building series here!

Do you have any interesting ideas to teach patience? We’d love to hear from you!

Alvin Gan is the father of three noisy (but lovely) teenagers and founder of www.BibleGamesCentral.com. At Bible Games Central, you will find a variety of fun and captivating games complete with Bible learning points, recommended scripture passages and discussion questions.

The post 3 Easy Ways to Teach Kids Patience first appeared on True Aim.

Manners as Character Training in a World Gone Tech

Manners may seem like an old fashioned concept but they are one that every successful person in life is familiar with and attuned too.

What are Manners?

Manners are, simply put, “a person’s outward bearing or way of behaving toward others.” It’s just as easy, maybe more so, to have poor manners than pleasant ones. Manners cause you to stand out in a crowd, ear-mark you as a leader and provide appropriate and clear boundaries to people in social situations.

The Importance of Teaching Manners

In an age gone tech, where digital shorthand shortchanges the English language, and often the recipient, it’s important to teach our kids the value of manners- which, at their essence, are showing that one values others as much as oneself.

Teaching our kids manners teaches them that there is an appropriate hierarchy in the world, they are not the center of the universe and that it’s a Godly value to consider others as much as one would consider themselves.

“Good Manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” Clarence Thomas

Manners: Basic Communication

Manners, good, bad or indifferent, are a simple mode of communication, and communication is the foundation of all relationships. Displaying good manners to our family –being kind and helpful, smiling at each other, for instance, is a way to communicate our love and concern for them. Treating other people with good manners is a way to convey that we see and understand that they are created in the image of God, and thus worthy of being treated as one of His Sons or Daughters.

Clothes and manners do not make the man, but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance ~Arthur Ashe

Basic Manners to teach your kids

1. Say “please” and “thank-you” in your home.
2. Be present when talking to others. Don’t put your phone down. Put your phone away.
3. Make eye contact when meeting and talking to people.
4. Learn to greet people – shake hands, introduce yourself, start a conversation.
5. Learn to introduce others properly; introduce the oldest person first.
6. Smile and extend a greeting.
7. Say “excuse me” when you interrupt or reach across others.
8. Listen well so that the other person knows they are understood.
9. Teach table manners – chew with your mouth closed, use a napkin, don’t reach, pass the food, help clear, thank the cook, engage in polite conversations
10. Be thoughtful and helpful to others; consider them.
11. Show gratitude
12. Take care of personal property
13. Dress appropriately for dfferent occasions
14. Teach the essentials of polite conversations and the art of  small talk
15. Teach proper ways to introduce others.
16. Teach how to earn and show respect
17. Teach appropriate text messaging, email, and texting as well as appropriate social media interaction. Be polite and be G rated.
18. Teach the art of setting boundaries – saying “yes” with grace, and “no with gentle firmness.
19. Don’t come empty handed- bring gifts to the host/ hostess. Flowers, a scented candle, a handwritten note.
20. Don’t be the first one to walk through a door- hold the door open for others.

Manners are the basic building block of civil society. ~ Alexander McCall Smith

Teaching Manners Teaches Character

How does teaching manners teach character?

Manners asks the person:

• to consider and think about others
• serve them and
• to show self-discipline
• to show gratitude.

Teaching manners is the best way to train our kids to be considerate. In a world that is tech saturated, that allows people to work and interact with no personal investment, manners are more important than ever. Manners allow us, demand that, we see and acknowledge the humanity of others.

~A man’s manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

View the full character building series here!

About the Author

Lisa Nehring has 1 husband, 2 graduate degrees, 5 kids and a black -belt in homeschooling having done so for over 25 years.  She owns and operates True North Homeschool Academy, which offers live on-line classes for k-12th graders, clubs, testing and Advising. as well as a one-of-a-kind Special Needs program. Lisa teachers Latin, Writing and History and loves coming alongside fellow homeschoolers to ensure academic success! You can find her blogging at truenorthhomeschoolacademy.com or at one of her FB groups: True North Homeschool Tribe, Survive and Thrive Special Needs Homeschooling and Classical Homeschool. Check out her weekly podcast, on iTunes Soft Skills 101:Life Skills for a Digital Age https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/soft-skills-101/id1454120834

The post Manners as Character Training in a World Gone Tech first appeared on True Aim.

How to Build Character During a Difficult Time

Sometimes life events prove difficult for adults and must also be shared with our children; the way in which we do that can impact our children’s understanding and reactions. Tragedy or illness, particularly the declining or uncertain health of a loved one, is something that is an almost inevitable part of life, and can be difficult for children to comprehend.

When a family member or close friend becomes seriously ill, it is always a topic that needs to be thought through about whether to tell our children or not. Each family and situation is different, and the developmental stage of the children must also be taken into consideration. We don’t want our children to worry, but they are clever and will always know when we’re stressed. I believe it’s important to involve our children in a truthful and developmentally-appropriate way.

We want to protect our children from worry, but if the outcome isn’t as we’d hoped we cannot protect them from sorrow and pain. By telling our children someone they love is ill, we can help prepare them to come to terms with an undesirable outcome rather than it to be a colossal shock out of the blue. They will have time to think about what they’re feeling and ask questions. Don’t quash those queries from youngsters. They may catch you off guard, and if that happens, ask them to give you a few minutes to think of the best way to explain, and then do so. Creating a veil of secrecy and cover-ups does not set a good example and only helps to harbour the mystery surrounding life and death.

Building Support Systems

Children can be great support in times of stress, and we can teach them how to comfort others in ways that work for them. My son always knows just when I need a hug and will come running into the room unexpectedly and give me a big bear hug, which always puts a smile on my face. A kind hand on an arm, a smile, or even a wink can lift a person’s spirits.

Brainstorm with your children to come up with other ways in which they help both the person who is ill, as well as those around them. Often putting energy into being productive can help everyone feel a little better. What skills do they have that can be used in this situation? Can they help clean, run some errands, help cook meals, read a story, draw a picture, sing, say a prayer? Let your child come up with their own ideas, too, so they feel part of the process.

Building Character Through Honesty and Education

If it’s appropriate, help your children learn about what is happening, and what the doctors are doing to try to remedy the illness. If it’s trouble with the heart, then set up a biology class where they can learn about how the heart works and what has gone wrong with it. What will medications or surgery do? Involving children like this can help them feel more knowledgeable and less powerless. Perhaps this will be the event that sparks the determination to become a future doctor or scientist.

Hopefully everything will be okay and everyone can rejoice; that is always the desired outcome for any illness or tragedy. However, death is a part of life, and life’s only certainty. It isn’t something that anyone looks forward to, but the ways in which we teach our children to come to terms with it can help them now, as well as in the future.

How have you involved your children in difficult times? Share your experience in the comments and we can learn together.

View the full character building series here!

About the Author

Crystal McClean is a Canadian homeschooling her family in Northern Ireland. Her family loves to learn about culture and they find it fun to do this by reading books, creating activities and recipes as well as attending cultural events when they can. When she isn’t home with her family she’ll be at the writing letters at library, taking photos at the local camera club, or counting wildlife along the loughshore with friends. You can learn more about their adventures at Castle View Academy or follow along via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

The post How to Build Character in Kids During a Difficult Time first appeared on True Aim.

Lehigh University Responds to Scandal

This post contains affiliate links. For more info, please read my full disclosure.

While most of us wouldn’t think of doing something so unethical (even if we had the means), their stories should cause us to pause and question what we value most.

What Are We Trying to Achieve?

You and I probably agree that integrity is one of the most important things our children can possess—and yet it’s so easy to spend most of our time focused on things that don’t really matter. In order to make what matters most the center of our children’s educations, we need to fully grasp the value and practicality of getting our priorities right.

It’s hard to know what those wealthy parents were thinking when they decided to bribe their children’s way into prestigious schools, but they do have something in common with parents the world over: a tendency to measure their success as parents by their children’s measurable achievements.

Lori Loughlin among 16 parents indicted with additional charges

How do we measure success in education?

Many Chinese parents would seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. After all, their kids may spend their high school years studying for 17 hours a day. In extreme cases, near exam time, some students will get nourishment from an IV in the classroom—so the students don’t have to stop studying to eat.

While competition might seem healthy—and I would argue it is in economics—measuring our value, and that of our children, by how we compare to others is a dangerous game. We risk making the things that matter least the focal point of our children’s education.

For years we may spend hours a day drilling our children to prepare them to get the perfect score on a college entrance exam. What message are we sending? What matters most? Getting the perfect score? Getting into the right school? Getting the right job? We may successfully train them to compete— and to do well by some measures. But when we do that we’re shortchanging them in the long run. Because life isn’t a competition. You can try to make it into one, but is that the future you want for your child?

What really matters in education?

Rather than helping our kids “win” at life, we need to help them learn to recognize what matters most— and make it the central focus during the years they spend with us.

In her book, Consider This, Karen Glass makes an argument that an educated child should have three things: 1) a humble spirit, 2) a good character and 3) a love for learning.

I can simplify it even more: character is all that really matters.

When our kids know that they don’t know it all, they will be teachable. Once they develop integrity, they will also have the grit to do a job well. When they know they are treasured by their creator, they will want to learn more about His world.

Where can we look for educational guidance?

Character is not only difficult to measure— it can also feel elusive to impart to our children. We can teach them all the right things and end up trapped in a legalistic model with an arrogant child. And yet it’s easy to tell when a child is grasping something deep and meaningful. It rarely happens when filling out worksheet pages. It will likely be sparked by an observation made when we’re going through life with our kids at our sides.

In a world where the things that matter least tend to get the most attention, we can turn to the Bible for guidance. In the book of Luke, Jesus is quoted as saying, “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (NKJV)

We live in a world where competition is fierce, but we can trust our God to give us everything needed!

The Secret to Building Our Children’s Character

So how do you make sure genuine character growth is at the heart of your child’s education? Every child and parent will have their share of challenges. I use those opportunities to take my child’s “spiritual temperature.” I know I can’t teach my children everything they should know. Instead, my goal is to teach them to love learning and love people. Sometimes a child needs to develop the discipline to sit down and work through a lesson. At other times a child may need to be challenged to think about others. The right story might help her see the world in a new way.

Most importantly, your children will learn by watching you do life in your own imperfect way. Character may be difficult to measure and challenging to teach, but your kids will recognize it when they see it in you.

Teri Capshaw is an author, developmental editor, former journalist, and homeschooling mom on a mission to help families thrive in an overstressed world. In her book Dying to Win she takes a big-picture look at factors pushing students too hard—and provides parents with practical strategies to ignite and inspire their children’s love of learning.

Get 15+ Tips on Building Character in Your Children!

The post What the College Scandals can teach us about building our Children’s Character first appeared on True Aim.

As moms of young kids, we definitely focus a lot on our littles’ academic development.  In fact, I’m embarrassed to admit that until I started seriously looking into the pros and cons of homeschooling, character building was not even on my radar.

Nowadays, we spend a lot of our time in character-building activities, and I love seeing my son making leaps and bounds with developing good character traits like patience, compassion, service, etc.

3 Ways a Nightly Cleanup Routine Can Build Your Child’s Character

One of my favorite ways to build character in kids is to look to your daily activities and use those as a springboard for working on your children’s desirable qualities.

For example, a nightly cleanup routine builds and improves the character traits of cleanliness, obedience, and teamwork.

“Character isn’t inherited.  One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action.”  -Helen Gahagan Douglas

A Cleanup Routine Teaches Cleanliness

Whether or not you believe that “cleanliness is next to Godliness,” there are many ways to work on building this character trait… from personal hygiene like brushing teeth and bathing to the cleanliness of your surroundings like keeping your room or house neat and organized.

Personally, it’s hard for me to function well in the middle of chaos and clutter.  Do you ever feel your blood pressure rising when you walk into a room full of stuff on every surface (floors, counters, tables, beds, couches, etc.)?  

I think we all do better when we have some breathing room!  And a nightly cleanup routine will teach your child to pick up and put away his or her toys, books, and clothes in their proper place.  This is where closets, dressers, bins, and other storage solutions come in handy.

You might think: “What’s the point of having my kid cleanup every night?  He’ll just make a complete mess again tomorrow.” True! Happens all the time at our house, too.  But don’t get discouraged, precious mama!

The daily practice of cleaning up is what actually builds the character in your child.

“Cleanliness and order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them.”  – Benjamin Disraeli

Obedience

Who wouldn’t love to have kids that listen to what you say the first time and do it without whining and complaining?  Me!!!  This is the type of obedience that a nightly cleanup routine lets you practice.

You can start asking your kids to help with the cleanup of their stuff as early as two years old.  Regardless of their age, in the beginning, you will probably encounter whining and resistance (a.k.a. disobedience) from any child.

Cultivate your child’s obedience to your request with gentleness.  Be satisfied if your two-year-old picks up just one toy and puts it away.  Ignore his or her rumblings and protestations and give lots of praise for a job well-done.  Raise your expectations week-by-week or day-by-day, depending on your child’s progress.

Consistency is Key to a Clean Up Routine

Of course, you would expect more from the get-go if you start this cleanup routine with an older child.  The goal is to remain firm (but not mean) until your child complies with your command, i.e., obeys you.

Another trick is to be consistent yourself.  Sometimes, as a parent you get so tired that you might not care if your child picks up the toys or not.  And listening to his or her whining and negotiating to get out of doing cleanup might feel like more than you can bear.  Don’t give up!  The more consistent you are, the more obedient your child will become.

As soon as you start seeing progress with your child’s obedience with the cleanup routine, you can start expanding it to other behaviors and tasks.

“Obedience will always produce benefits that far outweigh the consequences of disobedience.”  – Priscilla Shirer

Teamwork

We view our family as a team, and every family member needs to contribute.  So, help your kids build the character trait of teamwork while young, and they will be well-prepared to participate in group school/co-op projects, team sports, and on teams in the work environment.

Cleanup time is perfect for building teamwork because you act as the leader delegating a task, as well as a teammate helping pick up the stuff.  Through this simple activity, your child will be exposed and learn how to delegate, how to follow instructions, and how to share responsibility—all part of teamwork!

How to teach your child teamwork with a cleanup routine

I love nightly cleanup time with my son.  One night, I might put him in charge of picking up and putting away all his trucks; and I will make myself responsible for putting away all of his building blocks.  We switch it up every evening, depending on what kind of toys or books are out.

Our cleanup routine often feels like a game or even a friendly competition.

“If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”  -African Proverb

I hope, wonderful mama, that you already, or come to, value character building as much (or even more) than your children’s academic achievements.

Now, I know that character formation might sound like such a daunting task.  However, your daily simple activities often provide some of the best opportunities to focus on practicing those valuable character traits.

Give it a try with this nightly cleanup routine!!!  And let me know if you have any questions or suggestions or even your own simple ideas on character building.

Tatyana Gray is a homeschooling mother of two.  She has walked away from a career as a lawyer to be a full-time wife and mother and has never looked back.  She now writes about family, motherhood, and home education at her blog, Tatyana Gray.

Get even more tips on building character!

The post 3 Ways a Nightly Cleanup Routine Can Build Your Child’s Character first appeared on True Aim.

How To Talk About Bullying

Bullying is no joke and no child should have to deal with being bullied. Nevertheless, it does happen more frequently than many people would like to admit. The best way to prevent your child from becoming a victim is to teach her all you can about bullying. She needs to know what it is and what to do if she is a victim or if she sees someone else being bullied.

Explain what actions are considered bullying and that this type of behavior is unacceptable.

Kids need to know what it is before they can know how to respond to it. Bullying can be verbal or physical – both can have deadly consequences. With the rise of technology and social media, bullying has also creeped its way on social media and anonymous chat sites or apps.

Give your child instructions on how to deal with it if she should fall victim to a bully.

Explain that safety is the most important thing and that she/he should take steps to remove themselves from the situation as soon as possible and report the incident to a trusted adult.

Let your child know that you will support her for standing up to a bully that is picking on her or someone else. Let her know that you will be there for her to help deal with whatever happens.

Talk to your child about ways to discourage bullying.

I’ve personally found humor can deflect “mean girl” talk, if causing a scene by confrontation isn’t appropriate for the time. Switching the topic can also help, or if your child hears negative comments about another person, speaking positive comments can cause the bully to stop.

Talk to your child about the different ways to avoid becoming a victim.

For example, stay with your friends or near the adults instead of going off by yourself. Most bullies seek out kids that are alone because they make easier targets.

Is your child the bully?

Talk to your child about bullying others and make sure she understands that it’s not right and will not be tolerated. Growing a healthy sense of self-confidence and understanding that everyone is equal can help bullies. More often than not, kids treating others cruelly is a sign something else is going on in their lives!

Above all, make sure your child knows you are available to talk anytime she needs or wants to discuss her day. Initiate conversations by asking her how her day went, did she have a good time or was there any problems she would like to discuss. Showing an interest in her life will make it easier to talk about bullying along with some of the other problems kids face each day.

The post How To Talk About Bullying first appeared on True Aim.

We’ve been focusing on giving this Christmas and that is why the Big Book of Character was a perfect story to read before we got started on our simple neighbor gifts. There are so many great stories in this book including; Chipmunk’s Charity, Courage Isn’t Crazy, Humble Before A Tumble, Bad Company, and Kindness Moves the Bear. Each story features character building reflection questions and Bible verses at the end.

Can you guess which one we read? We also made an acorn ornament that went along with it and attached those to our snack bags.

Simple Gifts for Neighbors

One of the most important aspects of this activity was where the gifts came from. First, the ornaments were handmade and the kids spent an hour or so making them. Second, the snacks were purchased with money they had earned for working around the house. That made these gifts very meaningful for the kids. To them, it was quite the investment.

They really had a lot of fun stamping their bags and talking about what they were going to put on them and why. This gave the gifts a personal touch and I’m sure the neighbors will notice because they aren’t exactly picture perfect.

I helped hole punch the bags and tie the ribbon on them with their handmade acorn ornaments.

Maybe the neighbors will think they are as cute as I do! However, the ornaments represent the kids sharing what they have with others.

I explained to the kids before we went out that although our neighbors may not be in need, everyone can use a little charity to help brighten up their day. Also, by putting Jesus loves you on the snack bags, we were sharing God’s word. Most people could use more of that in their lives so the kids were even more excited to hand them out!

Do you give gifts to your neighbors for Christmas?

Need more help getting your kids focused on the true meaning of Christmas?

We have all sorts of fun activities, recipes and family fun that are inspired by a Children’s Christmas book that share the real meaning of Christmas! Make sure to follow along, you can take a look at the schedule over at Inspired by Familia blog.

Here are our fabulous bloggers and their books:
Inspired by Family – the Christmas Cookie
Meaningful Mama – The Crippled Lamb,
Teaching Mama – The Legend of the Candy Cane
Beautiful Messy Motherhood – A Carol for Christmas,
Happy Home Fairy – M is for Manger
Simple home Blessings – Who is Coming to Our House?
The Chaos and the Clutter – I Spy Christmas
Creative Family Fun – The Birds of Bethlehem
Sunshine Whispers!

The post Simple Gifts for Neighbors to Help Kids Learn About Charity first appeared on True Aim.

Chipmunk Charity

This ornament was inspired by a story from the Big Book of Character. Here is a little summary and why these acorn ornaments are so special!

There once was a busy Squirrel who was hard at work collecting acorns for the winter. As he was searching he bumped into something. At first he thought it was just a rock, but then he heard the sobs of a chipmunk. All of chipmunks food she had stored was stolen by a racoon and she didn’t know what to do. Squirrel was too worried about himself to help, but he assured her someone would probably help her and scurried off to hide his bounty. As he stuffed acorns into a hole in a tree stump, he worried that the chipmunk might have followed him and spied his secret hiding place. He thought he should secure it with a large rock, but as he was moving it another animal was watching.

Racoon offered his assistance to Squirrel and proceeded to lift up the rock and eat all of the acorns! Poor squirrel watched in dismay and gave up all hope of surviving winter after that. He laid down and closed his eyes as the first snow started to fall. There was a light blanket covering him as who would happen to bump into him, but Chipmunk!

Will she leave him to fend for himself like he did to her? I think you can guess, but if you want to read the whole story, you can download it for just 1 dollar or buy the whole collection of 5 different stories in paperback. Each story features reflection questions and a Bible verse or two that goes with the story. Like Hebrews 13:16 for Chipmunk Charity, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Kid Made Acorn Ornament

Before I came up with this one, I had the kids try to make an ornament with yarn, glue and balloons. Let’s just say, it didn’t go so well. So, I came up with this one on a whim. Pipe cleaners and wooden beads were the only things left in my craft drawer that went together and I love how the acorn ornaments turned out!

They are so easy and just gorgeous. Definitely a memorable ornament for your Christmas tree.

To prepare for the craft, you’ll need to cut the pipe cleaners. You’ll need one full length pipe cleaner for the acorn cap and one cut about 3/4ths length. The 3/4ths length pipe cleaner will be the one that the kids put beads on. You can also cut some short pieces to decorate the acorn cap if you’d like, but you don’t have to.

You may want to try and make a model ornament first so your children can see an example. Have your kids string the beads onto the 3/4ths length pipe cleaner, leaving room on both ends to attach to the cap.

Form the cap of the acorn ornament by putting both ends together and twisting about 2 inches down for the stem. Then put your thumb and pointer finger in between the folded part of the pipe cleaner and extend your fingers to make an elongated oval shape.

Attach the shorter, beaded pipe cleaner to the acorn cap by twisting the end onto the bottom. You can then add shorter pieces of pipe cleaners to decorate the acorn cap.

Hang the kid made acorn ornament on your tree and remind your children that no matter how little we have, we can always share it.

What to see more kid-made ornaments inspired by books?

Check these out:

Teach Beside Me – Christmas Music Tree

The Life of Jennifer Dawn – Patchwork Ornament

Kitchen Floor Crafts – Polar Bear Ornament

Arty Crafty Kids – Twig Christmas Tree

10 Days of a Kid-Made Christmas Series!

The post Teach About Charity with Kid Made Acorn Ornament first appeared on True Aim.

If we want our kids to be thankful for what they have, to be content, and to have a servant’s heart, it’s clear that we’re going to need to intentionally fight back against the cultural norms of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.  So, how’s a family to navigate the holidays and help their children develop an attitude of gratitude rather than thinking the world revolves around them?

7 ways to help our kids develop an attitude of gratitude around the holidays:

1 – Visit a nursing home

It’s good for our kids to be around people who have less than they do – or who have needs they are able to fill.  The elderly people who live in nursing homes get very lonely.  Their families often live a distance away and can’t visit as often as they would like.  Most nursing home workers are happy to show you residents who would appreciate conversation or even just a smile.  And the residents will be thrilled to have kids in their midst – even if they are on the quiet side!

2 – Write thank-you notes

When children do receive gifts, have them write thank-you notes to show their appreciation.  This small gesture can go a long way toward helping them to realize how fortunate they are – and it’s appreciated by the giver as well.

3 – Recognize those who serve us

Have your kids make homemade gifts for the mailman, teachers, tutors, etc.  You can also take a batch of cookies to your local firehouse or police station!

4 – What are you grateful for?

At the end of each year, it’s a great discipline for each family member to make a list of things they’re grateful for that year.  Keep these lists in the same place so that you can review them from time to time.  Sometimes, it’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong in our lives.  This activity helps us to remember everything that’s going right.

5 – Look for ways to serve

Have your children set a goal to help someone out at least once a day without being asked.  This is a wonderful discipline for people of all ages.

6 – Have kids help out with chores

There’s a lot of work that goes into keeping a household running smoothly.  Kids will feel entitled when everything is done for them and they don’t have to pull their own weight.  Make sure your kids help out with the household chores.  This is a great way to give them more appreciation for the work it takes to keep the house clean.

7 – Model an attitude of gratitude

Children model their behavior after that of their parents.  Make sure they hear you saying “Please” and “Thank-you”.  Tell them things that you’re grateful for.  Let them see your servant heart.

This year, as you navigate the holidays, make an intentional effort to help your kids develop a grateful heart.  More than any other gift, helping them learn to be content and appreciative will be something that they will carry with them the rest of their lives.

Have you seen kids develop an entitlement mentality around the holidays? Have any other ideas for helping kids to be grateful and appreciative?  Please leave a comment below.

The post 7 Ways to Help Our Kids Develop an Attitude of Gratitude first appeared on True Aim.