Dear Editor,
With all the talk of crime and violence in our society, when will adults learn to do right? Since it is said that we are products of our environment, then it simply means that we are to make our environment more positive to impact our children.
We need to begin by starting to highlight the things that make us "good", so to speak, and reinforce these. How about getting our children to practise social graces and use common courtesies like "please,""excuse me", and "thank you?"
Even more so, let us get them to set high expectations for themselves. This can be done by simply valuing who they are, and in turn get them to value themselves.
We should allow our children to know that apart from God they are the most important persons in their world. Similarly, we need them to understand that they are responsible for their actions. Then, they will begin to see the bigger picture.
One way to do this is to teach our children "character education." Let us start somewhere. If we begin in our homes, schools and churches to choose a character trait and teach this trait for a month, at the end of the year our children will at least learn 12 guiding principles. These will guide them throughout their lifetime. I believe that the character trait for the month of January is LOVE, followed with FORGIVENESS in February.
Dalrine McCauley
Guidance Counsellor/Teacher
mdalrine@ymail.com
Our children need character education
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With all the talk of crime and violence in our society, when will adults learn to do right? Since it is said that we are products of our environment, then it simply means that we are to make our environment more positive to impact our children.
We need to begin by starting to highlight the things that make us "good", so to speak, and reinforce these. How about getting our children to practise social graces and use common courtesies like "please,""excuse me", and "thank you?"
Even more so, let us get them to set high expectations for themselves. This can be done by simply valuing who they are, and in turn get them to value themselves.
We should allow our children to know that apart from God they are the most important persons in their world. Similarly, we need them to understand that they are responsible for their actions. Then, they will begin to see the bigger picture.
One way to do this is to teach our children "character education." Let us start somewhere. If we begin in our homes, schools and churches to choose a character trait and teach this trait for a month, at the end of the year our children will at least learn 12 guiding principles. These will guide them throughout their lifetime. I believe that the character trait for the month of January is LOVE, followed with FORGIVENESS in February.
Dalrine McCauley
Guidance Counsellor/Teacher
mdalrine@ymail.com
Our children need character education
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