Homeschooling efficiently typically brings to thoughts youngsters well-versed in math, language, historical past, studying, and writing, doesn’t it? I imply what profitable homeschool mama doesn’t need her youngster to do nice in teachers?
I believe there’s one thing extra necessary to show although–one thing that eclipses all tutorial topics.
HEY! There’s a freebie on this publish!
In fact, as an creator specializing in instructing children the Bible and Christian historical past, I believe each Christian homeschool mother wants to include these two topics into her homeschool. I believe they’re important.
However at this time, I need to speak to you about instructing character. Your youngster’s character is important to a well-ordered, peaceable dwelling. His character is of paramount significance in his future success in life. Her character will have an effect on each relationship she has over the course of her lifetime.
However how do you educate character? It’s a nebulous, summary idea, proper?
Worry not. Character could be taught, and you’ll simply incorporate 5 simple methods into your homeschool (with out including a topic!) that can assist emphasize good character to your children, and can assist your youngsters acknowledge the lengthy lasting outcomes of character–good or dangerous–on their lives.
Disclosure: *This publish could embody affiliate hyperlinks. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn the disclosures and phrases for extra info.
Educate Character Via Actual-Life Heroes
It’s necessary that we notice that our youngster’s (and our personal) coronary heart is deceitful above all issues, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Except the Lord calls and regenerates (saves) our youngster, they can’t “be good”. When He does regenerate their little hearts, they enter right into a lifetime of progressive sanctification–the method of changing into holy, set aside for God. It’s not till our youngsters die as followers of Jesus Christ that they grow to be glorified. That’s after they’ll be sinless.
So, give your youngsters grace. They’re little sinners–similar to you and me.
Within the meantime, level your children to Christ via Scripture, and make the most of these 5 easy methods to show character via real-life heroes.
1) Examine Actual-Life Heroes in Scripture
Above all, crucial manner we are able to educate character is thru studying the Bible with our children.
Scripture is stuffed with hero tales. “Hero tales” is a literary time period utilized by biblical students to confer with the tales Scripture tells us about real-life individuals who actually lived and died. We educate hero tales in Sunday Faculty as a result of they’re concrete, fascinating, and easy-to-relate to our youngsters. Tales about Esther, King David, Queen Jezebel, Samuel, Paul, Barnabas, Mary of Magdalene–these are all examples of hero tales.
After I consider the phrase hero, I consider somebody robust, brave, and stuffed with fantastic character. Don’t you? The attention-grabbing factor in regards to the literary time period “hero story” is that it doesn’t imply the story is a few “good” particular person. It simply means the story focuses on somebody’s life to convey reality.
Hero tales within the Bible ought to by no means be over-moralized. We need to our children to be taught the over-arching Scriptural themes of who God is, God’s whole sovereignty, God’s plan for salvation, and our function as believers.
That stated, the hero tales of the Bible are a nice place to speak about what true godly character seems to be like, and the way godly character impacts the lifetime of a person, their household, their group, and even all of historical past.
2) Meet and Speak to Actual-Life Heroes
Once we search for methods to show our children about character, it may be simple to miss the folks round us. I believe we do nicely to do not forget that God’s persons are all over the place, and so they typically have superb tales to share with our children.
I do know individuals who have:
- Served abroad as missionaries.
- Labored with deprived and high-risk teams.
- Fought in numerous wars.
- Lived via vital historic occasions.
- Raised households, massive and small.
- Been artistic in serving the Lord with their funds.
- Left a lifetime of crime, sexual sin, or medicine to observe Christ.
- Stayed married for 20, 30, 40, 50, and even 60+ years.
The trustworthy Christians round you all have a narrative to inform about their stroll with God. Give them a name and arrange a pastry date at your own home or theirs. Clarify that you just’re specializing in instructing your children character via real-life heroes and ask in the event that they’d be prepared to share a life story that includes godly character. These tales can give attention to how God enabled them to point out religious fruit, how character (good or dangerous) had a consequence of their lives, how God saved them from their sins and gifted them with sanctification, or any manner they’d prefer to share about character via their very own life story.
Contain the children in making a particular deal with to share, and head over to your topic’s home, or invite them to yours. The older I get, the extra I notice there are trustworthy Christians throughout us who want to pour into our lives–we simply should ask.
On a private be aware, we not too long ago moved to a small coastal city very close to my dad and other-mother. My dad has been sharing struggle tales and life experiences with my teen boys. Just a few weeks in the past, he shared his salvation story which was fairly dramatic. Not solely are my boys drawing nearer to my dad, I’m studying extra about him too. And we’re all studying from his life expertise, knowledge, and…character.
3) Learn Books about Actual-Life Heroes
One other fabulous solution to research character is thru the lives of actual life heroes in books. Christian historical past is stuffed with superb, flawed, godly individuals who modified the course of historical past and glorified God with their lives.
One of many advantages of finding out Christian heroes who’ve gone earlier than us is that we are able to see the impression their character made on historical past for good or for dangerous. Hindsight is 20/20, proper?
From studying about Christian real-life heroes in books, children can be taught:
- How following God’s main modifications lives.
- How talking up for the Gospel factors folks to Christ.
- That God is sovereign over all historical past.
- That the Christian life shouldn’t be meant to be snug, however to be absolutely lived to the glory of God.
- That our personal egocentric, lazy, sinful hearts can impede the work of the Gospel.
- That God can and does work on this planet despite our flaws.
- That poor doctrine and theology additionally impacts historical past–however that it negatively impacts the Church.
- That struggling and laboring for the Kingdom of God right here on earth is noble, and that it yields everlasting fruit.
Discover an ENORMOUS listing of Christian historical past books, separated by grade degree and time interval, right here.
4) Watch Motion pictures about Actual-Life Heroes
I like historic motion pictures. There are such a lot of nice ones out there now, and lots of are applicable for teenagers.
There’s one thing about seeing and feeling historical past that basically helps drive dwelling character classes for teenagers. Our household has actually made a behavior of in search of at the least two motion pictures monthly about real-life heroes that we are able to watch with our children and talk about character afterwards.
We’ve watched motion pictures that embody:
- Christian historical past motion pictures.
- Historic dramas.
- Cartoons about Christian heroes.
- Sports activities motion pictures.
In in search of good motion pictures, I at all times Google the title of the film we’re contemplating after which “dad and mom information” afterward. There are a variety of web sites that evaluate motion pictures for offensive components, however I want the IMDB guardian’s information if it’s out there. It truly counts and particulars the incidences of sexual innuendos (or acts), violence, and profanity. I by no means, ever depend on the ranking as I’ve seen PG motion pictures with nudity and foul speech.
5) Speak about What Character Qualities a Actual-Life Hero Shows
One final solution to educate your children about character is to debate what character traits a real-life hero shows. These conversations can happen naturally as you search for alternatives to introduce particular person character traits.
Greater than something, be certain you emphasize that godly character won’t ever present itself in our lives with out a new coronary heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV) says:
And I gives you a brand new coronary heart, and a brand new spirit I’ll put inside you. And I’ll take away the center of stone out of your flesh and provide you with a coronary heart of flesh.
Use your discussions on character to share the gospel along with your children. Inform them we’re all sinners–that we fall in need of God’s requirements. Allow them to know that God established a plan for salvation, and that anybody who believes that Jesus is the Son of God grow to be man, crucified within the believer’s place for his or her sins, and risen once more can be saved. Share that we should repent of our sins and switch to Jesus.
Scripture offers us a complete listing of godly character traits that Christians embody. This embodiment occurs progressively over time as we search to observe Jesus. These traits embody:
- Love
- Pleasure
- Peace
- Endurance
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-Management
- Generosity
- Brotherly Love / Unity
- Compassion
- Diligence
- Hospitality
- Gratefulness
- Grace
- Forgiveness
- Praying Regularly
There are extra godly character traits outlined in Scripture, however this may get you began.
Educating character via real-life heroes shouldn’t be solely attainable, it’s enjoyable, simple to include, and it yields good fruit. It’s the proper solution to set your homeschool up for achievement!
Your Free When Lightning Struck! Dialogue Information! (Retail $12)
The When Lightning Struck! Dialogue Information is ideal for:
- Youth Teams
- Sunday Faculty Lessons
- Household Learn-Alouds
- Homeschool Christian Historical past
Every chapter has dialogue questions and timeline dates so as to add to the 4-page timeline I’ve included behind the information. There are additionally quick biographies of necessary figures, and related Scripture passages to think about with dialogue questions.
Danika Cooley is an creator, mom of 4, and homeschooler. She has a love for the Bible, theology, and Christian historical past. Her work for youngsters and households could be discovered on Amazon and at ThinkingKidsBlog.org, and consists of When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther, Splendidly Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Beginning, Bible Highway Journey™, and Cobblestone Path™.
