Patience. Diligence. Perseverance. Honesty. Kindness. Aren’t these character traits that each of us wants to see our kids exhibit? Aren’t these the traits we hope our children display in and out of our presence? I know they are for me. But, how do we get our kids to be patient and diligent? How do we get them to understand the importance of honesty and kindness? As parents, we must intentionally teach our children to be people with good character. They have to understand what it means, and they need to understand why it is important. And, we need to start training them early. It’s so much harder to go back and un-learn bad habits than it is to learn good habits from the start. It’s a good thing that there are so many fantastic products on the market for parents who strive to raise their children to have good character. 

 

Character Training Resources for Kids

We Choose Virtues ~ I have reviewed We Choose Virtues a couple of times: here and here. Each item – parent cards, posters, stickers, and more – can be purchased in one Homeschool Kit or individually to fit your needs and your budget. 

Doorposts – When my kids were younger, we used several products from Doorposts. I had an If-Then Chart and a Blessing Chart hanging on our kitchen wall. As the kids got older, I purchased Plants Grown Up and Polished Cornerstones. I like that these products – the charts and the books – are based solidly on God’s word. I also subscribe to their newsletter which contains freebies quite often. 

Kids of Integrity – This is a new-to-me site. I hadn’t heard of it until I was researching for this post, but it looks great. The site is brought to us by Focus on the Family Canada, and I love just about everything I’ve seen from FOTF. This site is full of free parenting resources. There is a list of character traits to choose from. Parents choose a trait to focus on, and complete the lesson. The FREE lessons consist of parent prayers, blessings, discussion questions, crafts, memory verses, Bible stories, hands-on activities and more. 

Character First Education ~ Created for children in grades K-5, Character First Education offers 15 free lessons on their site. They have a store where you can purchase additional products and lessons for this age and older kids, too. The free lessons are sufficient for getting started. The lessons contain objectives, discussion starters, stories, hands-on activities, videos, and more. 

Character Badges ~ Character Badges, available from The Modest Mom, is a program that consists of charts, badges, and flash cards. The charts {Obedience Chart, Disobedience Chart, and Consequence Chart} help children visualize their behavior over a period of time. The badges, flash cards, and charts work together to create a system that makes character training fun for kids. Character Badges was designed for kids 5-12. Little Character Badges is available for kids 3-5. You can also purchase both sets in a discounted bundle. 

Discipleship: A Character Curriculum Using Scripture ~ Fellow homeschool momma, Dollie Freeman, has created a character training program for children of all ages. Discipleship is a 1, 2, or 3-year program with assignments scheduled 5 days each week. The program focuses on 12 character traits, and the lessons for each trait contain copywork, word study, a personal journal, a prayer journal, and a reading log. It’s available in a KJV and NIV version. 

The Book of Virtues ~ Years ago, my mom found this book for me at a yard sale. I was super excited! I couldn’t wait to read it with Emma.  I recently discovered a FREE 900-page unit study to go along with this book!! How awesome is that! Each unit is designed to last two weeks, and they include vocabulary, copywork, lapbook pages, and more. Again, I say, it’s free! 

Character Qualities ~ Rachel Carman has some great posts on her blog about character qualities. They’re free, also. Each has a devotional/lesson to do with your children, and there is a coloring page for them to print out. There are over thirty free lessons on her blog.