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.

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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.

And, while the royal families did vary in their parenting approaches, there are three things that all royal families believed set them apart from other families.

3 Things Royal Families Can Teach Us About Parenting

1. Loyalty

When your enemies are plotting against you, no matter what you hear, it’s better to be loyal. Royal families were used to gossip and slander. Family members who believed the gossip about other family members and sided with outsiders against their kin, always brought heartache, like with Absalom and King David or Edward the II of England.

Loyalty is what holds families together. The minute you break it, vulnerability and weakness creep in and it is almost impossible to repair. How can we use this lesson to be a better parent? We can cultivate a strong bond between siblings, support our spouse in discipline and always be weary of saying negative things to outsiders about our family.

2. Tradition

Instead of being something that changes with the culture, tradition is foundational to Royal families. Tradition connects the past and the future. They set families apart from the rest. They create memories that last.

These aren’t just fun things you do during the holidays. This is something useful that your family does to preserve itself and show respect. For example, in British tradition, when the Queen stands, everyone stands. What kinds of traditions have you created in your family?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_royal_family.JPG

3. What Royal Families Can Teach Us About Parenting: Etiquette

Royal families don’t just practice good etiquette; in many cases, their families created the rules. They understand, that Manners set you apart because they are meant to convey respect for others and yourself.

Teach your child etiquette so that they know how to conduct themselves in a way that shows both empathy and confidence, so that they don’t feel awkward and out of place in social situations. The rules of etiquette will help them know the right thing to do and say in public, so they stand out for the right reasons.

Have you learned any parenting tips from a royal family? We’d love to hear about it!

Check out more 5-minute Parenting Tips

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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.

Moment of total honesty here… up until about a year ago, I rarely thought about using prayer from a character building perspective. I would get a few things in mind and pray those like clockwork. “Thank You, Lord, for today. Thank You for our family, shelter, and food. Help us be more like You want us to be. Amen.”

Sound familiar? If so, it’s totally okay to admit, because here’s the thing… there is room for growth. This isn’t something that happens overnight, but taking baby steps forward is indeed moving forward.

5 Character Traits Built Through Prayer

Teaching our children important character traits through prayer has been one of the best ways we are able to not only show them how to foster a relationship with our Creator King, but also to show His plan for us.

I sometimes find myself saying, “That’s not how God wants us to behave.” Then, that leads to us finding Scripture to support appropriate behavior while adding things to pray for to our prayer journal or list.

There are five key character traits that can be built through prayer:

1. Encouragement
2. Trust
3. Gratitude
4. Strength
5. Patience

Some of these may look familiar because they are from the infamous fruit of the Spirit list; however, they are all important. Of course, there are a lot more that could be added to the list but I have found that having these built on a godly foundation is a great starting point.

3 Ways to Build Your Child’s Character Through Prayer

Prayer Journaling

If your child is old enough, invite them to start prayer journaling. This style of journaling can help with focusing on Scriptural affirmations, encouragement, needs, prayers for others, and so on. If they need help with where to start, suggest writing a few times a week or even once a day. Prompt them to share with you if they’d like to.

Family Prayer Time

Gathering together to pray for specific things can be pretty powerful. We often gather together and my husband will read the Shema (Deuteronomy 6) then he will pray. Other days he will pray first, then me, and then each one of the children (down to the 2-year-old).

Family Devotional Time

Two years ago I wrote and began a family-style devotional that has the Shema declaration, a monthly prayer, and weekly devotional. Everyday I read the three aforementioned and then we discuss it. It offers a great (and calm) start to our mornings and helps set the stage for the day.

One of the biggest benefits to using prayer as a means to build your child’s character is that it also builds yours in the process. Often times we look to teach our children a lesson when in fact, we are learning as well. As you navigate the throws of raising and building your children up, seize every opportunity to also help it grow you too.

CHIME IN: I’d like to hear from you! What are some ways you build your children’s character? Let me know in the comments!

View the full character building series here!

About the Author

Michelle Huddleston is a devoted wife, homeschooling mom, and work-from-home mompreneur. It is her desire to see families thrive, and especially women living unapologetically authentic to who God created them to be. You can find Michelle blogging about life at withthehuddlestons.com; teaching children through her online school for homeschoolers, Huddleston Academy; and, helping other mompreneurs find success in their business through her M3 service (Mompreneur Mastermind Mentor). Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

The post Building Your Child’s Character Through Prayer first appeared on True Aim.

How to Use Chore Charts To Help Build Character

Chores are more than just boring jobs, they’re a way for kids to contribute to the family and can help prepare them for adulthood.

1. Make an easy to follow list

If kids are prone to forgetfulness, creating a simple chore chart can help remind them of everything they need to do daily, weekly, and even monthly. Whether it be with stickers or a whiteboard, make an easy way for kids to track what chores have to be done and which ones they have done.

These chore card templates from The Idea Room are sorted by room in the house and are easy to follow! They’re best for kids able to read.

For preschoolers, this simple chart made from a cookie sheet are a great visual for little ones.

2. Offer rewards for extra chores

Sometimes, kids go above and beyond their normal chores. Offer small incentives when they do extra chores, do an especially good job, or do a chore without complaining or being asked! The reward could be anything from 30 extra minutes of screen time to $1, or a trip to Dairy Queen.

3. Let the kids be involved

When you’re coming up with the list, have kids get involved with the decision-making process. Have them go through their daily routine and the family’s daily routine to decide what needs to go on the list.

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4. Make it fun

“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!” Showing kids that chores can be fun can make them more engaging.

Also, this can emphasize the importance of thankfulness! For example, we are thankful for the house we have to clean.

5. Mix it up

Sometimes, piles of laundry and putting away clean dishes add up. Rotating chores between kids can help make things seem less boring.

Possible chores to rotate:

• Folding laundry
• Drying dishes
• Vacuuming the floors
• Dusting

View the full character building series here!

The post How to Use Chore Charts To Help Build 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.

Dinner and a Movie

Invite an elderly couple into your home for a dinner and a great movie. The company is great, and so is the conversation. Simply involve the whole family in creating a simple meal, decorate a nice table and have them over for a night out.

Pie Baking

In November, pumpkin and apples are our favorites! Bake pies for shelters, neighbors, community members (librarians, firefighters, police officers, etc.) or family. Experience the joy of giving through food!

Volunteer at the Library

I’ve volunteered at the library before I received a short-time part-time job there, and I loved it so much! (I’m also a bookworm.)

Write Letters to Service Men

It can be a lonely time for service men as we approach the bigger holidays. Programs like Operation Gratitude allow you to write letters to service men.

Organize A Dinner of Thanks

In our house we love to cook and have others enjoy a meal with us. We ask members from our church to help support a dinner of thanks to our fireman and police officers. We certainly can not have a meal for each person so we have a drawing at the firehouse and police station for 10 individuals. Then we make a meal and have them come to different houses to show our support.

Visit a Nursing Home

Visit a nursing home, and spend the day with the elderly! It’s fun to see their faces light up with the youth in the room. Whether it be eating a meal with them or playing a game, they appreciate the company. Plus, they will more than likely be willing to share some of their life story!

Crafting with Children

See if you have a local hospital that has a Ronald McDonald House, where families stay while their children are in the hospital. During Christmas this can be a pretty difficult situation to be in. Volunteer to visit with the other children who are staying there and do a Christmas craft.

Operation Christmas Child

This is a project that can be done online with your family. We each design our own box of giving for another child. If you go online to Operation Christmas Child you may design a shoebox worth of gifts to be distributed to children around the USA. It is fun to go online and select your items to be put in the box and you get a number to track your delivery.

A Week of Paying it Forward

Budget each family member $20.00 for the Week of Paying it Forward. The rules are that the money may not be used to benefit you. If you are in the lunch line and someone forgot their money, use that money. If someone looks like they could use a hot cup of coffee, simply buy them one. Keep a journal for the week as to where our money was spent and review how you were blessed in helping others.

Donate a Thanksgiving Meal

Every year, entire meals for the local food bank are given out 1 day before Thanksgiving. Donate meal items to your local food bank as a way to serve the community.

Thankful For My Family

Often, our families bless us the most and we can thank them the least. Plan a big brunch on a Sunday after church to celebrate each other. Prepare a meal that we can eat in courses so you have more time to just enjoy each other, talk about the things you are grateful for, and how you’ve been blessed.

The post 10+ Family Giving Projects 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.