Virtues Parenting - Page 10

[bstandlee]

Originally Posted by treehugz

Yay, I love new book deliveries!

This is our week on cleanliness, which seems pretty straightforward. Last week was caring, which was also an easy one for us to find examples of. One new thing I'm working on... we check out a dozen or so board/picture books every week at the library, and as I read them I'm making a list of the books and any key virtues that are addressed. I think this will be a helpful resource for me to draw from as I'm going through the weeks... and I love books (and lists, lol) so it's fun for me. Then I can just go back to the library and get those books when there's a new virtue to work on.

If anyone has suggestions of good books showing a particular virtue, I'd love to add it to my list!

What a great idea! I love books and lists too I don't have any book suggestions right now but I would love to start compiling some names. I've thought of doing that with Bible stories that highlight certain virtues too (but haven't got so far as to actually start a list!)

[BabyBearsMummy]

I just picked up a copy of The Family Virtues Guide. We are planning on a 52 week journey thru the book together as a family. A random number generator selected the virtue of cleanliness as our first virtue. Something we are all struggling with lately. This looks like it will be an interesting journey.  

[holyhelianthus]

So glad to see this has been bumped! Any of the old moms still around? How is everyone doing? 

We need to start up with this again. Desperately. 

[Just1More]

I'm a new one to this, but I really like the idea.  I really like being able to give my kids concrete things that all people should do.  I really dislike the lists of dos and donts we all get caught up in, and would much rather focus on principle. 

So, I don't have much free time, but I'm reading, and would love to hear other's experiences, real life suggestions, and anything else. :)

[bstandlee]

We've been doing virtues with DS basically since he was a baby. He's almost 4, and it's fun to see him grasp and understand these big words we talk about with him: respect, responsibility, courtesy, consideration, etc. DH is a youth pastor and is totally on board with using the virtues in his ministry. He even brought in a certified speaker for a one day parenting conference at our church...really cool!

The thing I struggle with is I feel like sometimes I use virtues as an ultimatum: "You need to choose (respect, courtesy, etc.) or else you'll go to your room or get a toy taken away." I feel like it should be more about him understanding and choosing the virtues of his own free will...our job is just to teach him what they are and why they're good and that they're inside everybody. It's just hard to put into practice with a preschooler!

[pumpkinseed]

Instead of making it an ultimatum-you could phrase it when he is acting in a way that is inappropriate as a question: which virtue do you think would be helpful now for you to use?  If there is no response-I would list a few-and ask if any of those would help in that situation.  That used to really help my daughter when she was that age.  Now she is 6.5 and I am grasping at straws...I need to get back to using virtues in our everyday language again-