TIPS TO DEVELOP GOOD CHARACTER

TIPS TO DEVELOP GOOD CHARACTER

IN YOUR CHILDREN

1. Model good character in the home. As William Bennett observed in The Book of Virtues, “there is nothing more influential, more determinant in a child’s life than the moral power of a quiet example.” It is critically important that those who are attempting to influence children’s character in positive ways “walk the talk.”

2. Be clear about your values. Tell your children where you stand on important issues. Good character is both taught and caught. If we want children to internalize the virtues that we value, we need to teach them what we believe and why. In the daily living of our lives, there are countless opportunities to engage children in moral conversation.

3. Show respect for your spouse, your children, and other family members. Parents who honor each other, who share family responsibilities, and who resolve their differences in peaceful ways communicate a powerful message about respect. If children experience respect firsthand within the family, they are more likely to be respectful of others. Simply stated, respect begets respect.

4. Model and teach your children good manners. Insist that all family members use good manners in the home. Good manners are really the Golden Rule in action. Whether the issue is courtesy or other simple social graces, it is in the home that the true thoughtfulness for others has its roots.

5. Have family meals together without television as often as possible. Mealtime is an excellent time for parents to talk with and listen to their children and to strengthen family ties. Whether the meal is a home-cooked feast or take-away, the most important ingredient is the sharing time – the time set aside to reinforce a sense of belonging to and being cared about by the family.

6. Plan as many family activities as possible. Involve your children in the planning. Family activities that seem quite ordinary at the moment are often viewed in retrospect as very special and memorable bits of family history.

7. Limit your children’s spending money. Help them develop an appreciation for non-material rewards. In today’s consumerist culture, youth easily come to believe that image of wearing the “right” clothes, driving the “right” car, etc. is more important than all else.

8. Discuss the religious days and their meanings. Gift your children on the birthday of our Aimmah and keep an atmosphere of sadness on the days of their martyrdom.

The Ultimate Nourisher

In response to his special prayer to Allah (SWT), Prophet Sulayman was granted a Kingdom and was given power over the forces of nature, over the Jinn, men, devils and other living creatures. He was also endowed with knowledge of their language and could easily communicate with them.

Prophet Sulayman was once sitting on the bank of a lake deeply engrossed in the beauties of nature around and appreciating the various forms of Allah's (SWT) creation on earth.

Suddenly Prophet Sulayman's attention was drawn towards an ant creeping forward with a grain of wheat in its mouth.

As it reached near the water, a tortoise came out, opened its mouth and the ant crept into it. The tortoise closing its mouth disappeared under the water. After a while, the tortoise again sprung out of the water and standing on the bank opened its mouth and the ant came out. But this time it had no grain of wheat in its mouth.

Prophet Sulayman became anxious to know what had been happening under water. On inquiring, the ant explained that at the bottom of the lake, was a stone and underneath it lived a blind ant. Allah (SWT) had created it there, and because of blindness, it could not move about. The ant further said that it had been appointed by Allah (SWT) to provide its daily sustenance with the assistance of the tortoise and hence, it performs this duty every day.

Moral: Allah (SWT) is Ar Razzaq. He is our Provider and we should always have faith in Him and trust Him in all our Affairs.