def. (noun) feeling deep sympathy and concern for the welfare of others Compassion is a Character-istic valued by every major religion and most spiritual and philosophical traditions. It represents the impulse to tend to others when they are hurting and support them in times of difficulty. Compassion is a crucial component of family functioning, friendships and intimate relationships. With caring …
Fostering Character Development in Teens: The Basics, Part 2
This is a continuation of a discussion of some basic parenting strategies that are particularly well suited to helping your kid develop Character. As you will see in later columns, you can use these techniques to focus on a particular Character-istic or all of them as the situation allows or need requires. Anticipate it. Character can be fostered in your …
The Heart and Soul of the Next Generation by Michael Bradley
I get really emotional thinking about people who make heroic sacrifices. It is something that maintains my hope in humanity. The odd thing is I am not talking about the heroes you read about in the news. You are not likely to hear of the ones I mean. They are quiet and unassuming. Their heroism is the ordinary, profound sort …
Fostering Character Develoment in Teens: The Basics, pt 1
To become a person of Character, teens require guidance, encouragement and accountability. They need help identifying fundamental values. They will need your help recognizing when and how to put these values into action. They need help holding to these values when personal desires or pressure to compromise threatens to lead them astray. (They need to know what “astray” is.) What’s …
Fostering Character Development in Teens: Introduction
Character is as important today as it has ever been. The same things that make American culture the wonder of the world – freedom, wealth, luxury, opportunity, diversity, tolerance, abundance – can tempt teens to be impulsive, aimless, focused on immediate gratification, greedy and entitled. Character is, and always has been, the antidote to these dead end life choices. Character …
Home As A Training Place
This was week 2 of being a part of the church service at Trinity Church (www.trinityspringhill.org). This week Mack used Proverbs 22:6 to frame the discussion of the importance of training kids to be happy, loving and responsible adults who truly know God. He focused on the importance of intentional parenting in fostering honesty; genuine, emotionally intimate relationships; benevolence and …