KINDNESS
Kindness could be defined as “genuine friendliness, helpfulness and generosity.”
Here are some ways to instill kindness in your children:
• Be a giver and not a taker. Let your children see you giving to others regularly.
• Never let children see you being unkind to the cashier or waitress.
• Know your neighbors and actually have concern for them.
• Never allow degrading comments to be made to other family members.
• Care for the hurting people of the world.
• Be a regular giver/servant at church and in the community.
GOODNESS
Jesus said “well done good and faithful servant” and “a good tree produces good fruit.” This is the opposite of bad. (Makes sense, huh?)
Here are some suggestions to instill goodness in your children:
• Reward good acts toward others.
• Give extra praise to your children for doing good things. (This can be done verbally and doesn’t always mean buying something.)
• Never let them see their parents argue and fight.
• Demand respect always. They don’t always have to agree, but they should always have to respect.
• Always declare truthfulness. Never let them see you telling lies; even “little white lies.”
• Teach prompt obedience. Don’t let them “think about” obeying you. This is especially true for younger children.
FAITHFULNESS
Children will be as faithful as you are, so in order to see them grow into faithful individuals you will have to model it for them.
Here are some action steps to help the process:
• Be faithful early in their life to what you want them committed to later in life. If you want them to go to church as adults then take them faithfully as children.
• If you commit to doing something then do it. Let your Yes be yes and your No be no.
• Be an anchor in their life whom they can always depend upon.
• Be faithful in all relationships. They are watching.
• Be consistent. If it is morally wrong today—it is tomorrow.
• Let them know they can depend on you to do what you said you would do for and with them.
• Let them find you in your devotion and quiet time on a consistent basis.
