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Helping children be good citizens in their community

word of month character

Sharing our talents with others is one way that we can practice good citizenship. When we are an adult to sharing of our talents also sets a great example for our children to see us giving to others what we have to offer. We can even encourage them to share their talents with others, starting with their siblings.

If our child has learned to read, they can share story reading with a younger sibling. This will set such a great example for the younger child in the love of learning and reading. Maybe they love to draw, we can encourage them to make cards first for those in the family who may be sick and then for others – even taking cards to a senior home or to a pediatric hospital.

As they learn new skills and share them with others, they are seeing first hand the practice of good citizenship. All of us can use whatever talent we have to help our community. Here are a few examples of things we can share with others:

  • cooking or baking
  • sharing with others our culture
  • volunteer at animal shelter
  • collecting food for others, costumes for holiday,
  • making art for seniors

Our children are never too young to learn about citizenship and being a caring and responsible member of our community.

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The Citizenship of Susan B. Anthony & Others

SusanBAnthonyOn November 5, 1872 Susan B. Anthony cast a vote in the presidential elections, 48 years prior to the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote. While campaigning for women’s rights – she was ridiculed and accused of trying to ruin the institution of marriage. In fact she was even arrested for casting her vote. She had broken the law. Today however she is seen as having demonstrated great citizenship.

Citizenship carry’s responsibility to follow the laws of the group that you belong. However there are times that a person realizes that for the greater good, breaking the law and dealing with the consequences is the right thing to do. As in any of the arts or many things in life, first we must understand the law, even live by the law before we are able to challenge it, bend it or even break it. There are so many examples in present and past that were able to accomplish good for their community by doing just that.

Just think about these people: Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Liu Xiaobo, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Roxana Saberi.

What is great about so many of those that were able to make changes – they did so peacefully. They made changes by dealing with personal consequences, while putting forth their message – non violently. It seems to me that many in our world today could take a lesson from these citizens who while making things fair for others, patiently did so with respect.

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Three rules of showing good citizenship

Our discussions this month on Citizenship will be on what it takes to be an active, caring and responsible member of our community.  Every individual has the opportunity to add to the strength of their community and the world.  Instead of just thinking of themselves, good citizens look for ways to be a helpful part of the group or community they are a part of, locally and globally.

Here is the simple way of showing good citizenship:

  1. Treat others with respect
  2. Be involved and do your part
  3. Keep community safe and fair

Following the rules of our communities – home, school, extra-curricular teams, and community shows good citizenship.

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Gifts of Character: Citizenship – The Definition

Each month we will discuss one gift of character with all of our students. This month the word is Citizenship.  This life skill will be defined in the following ways for our students.

Young students: Citizenship means: I am a helpful member of my community!

Older students: Citizenship means:  Being an active, caring and responsible member of our community

We are not your typical after school activity, in fact we are an education center, working with students on physical self defense skills, while empowering families to bring out the best in our children and ourselves – through the martial arts.  We believe every child has 52 gifts  in them already.  They only need to be taught how to grow and use them in their life.  Balanced Life Skills serves parents, teachers and students to reach that goal.

If you would like to see Joe Van Deuren and Balanced Life Skills at work,  TRY CLASSES FOR FREE for 2 weeks.

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Discipline in your most important team – Family

BLS-gift-of-character-headerImagine you had a project to do – at home or school and you were told that you could have someone help you.  How exciting to have a teammate, someone that will help you get the job done more quickly.  Lets say the job is getting the family room cleaned up – toys picked up, blankets folded, pillows arranged, floor vacuumed.

 

But when your helper came in they started playing with the toys, even got more things out, turned the television on and left you with no help?  They were not disciplined enough to work before they played.  They were distracted by all of the other things to do.  Are you feeling disappointed, upset, even frustrated that the job was not getting done?

 
When teams work together, keep their discipline, stay focused on the job at hand – they will finsh the job quickly and have time to do other things that they enjoy.  Our family is that team.  In fact they are our most important team.  None of the team members want to let the others down by playing when their is a job to do.  So here is your practice:  keep your focus on the job at hand, keep your eyes and head on the job at hand, and be sure to work before you play.  Doing so will make you a great team member – a great member of the family.

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What will help to practice discipline?

BLS-gift-of-character-headerAt the beginning of our classes, we invite students to practice discipline with “We are going to control our mind, body and mouth.”   Sometimes I ask them which one is the hardest? For each of us the answer to that question may be different.   Invariably the students will say “mouth”. While I personally would agree with that answer, we can show discipline in many ways and for each of us the most difficult one may be different.

For some being still – physical stillness when needed is difficult. For others we may want to talk when it is appropriate to be quiet, and for others our mind may be off dreaming in another world when we need to focus on the task at hand. If we are able to keep our feet still, be quiet when we need to listen or focus with the eyes on the teacher – We are practicing discipline.

What techniques do you use to practice “discipline” or self control?   Do you exercise, step away to a quiet place, tell yourself to pay attention? Could you take a few deep breaths while you think about how you will conduct yourself or how you will speak to others. Knowing ourselves, and who we can be around, where we can be our best, and how we work at our best, will help us to learn and demonstrate our personal discipline.