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Character.org Recognizes 73 State-Level Schools Of Character and 2 Districts of Character

Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2023) — Character.org, a national advocate and leader for character development in schools and communities, today designated 73 state-level Schools of Character, 2 Districts of Character, and 1 International School from Mexico for...

The Field of Character Lost a Giant Recently

In mid-November, Robert “Bob” Kern passed away at age 96. I met Mr. Kern decades ago when he invited me to Wisconsin to meet his colleagues at the Kern Family Foundation. What I vividly recall during my time with Mr. Kern was not only his hospitality but his...

Why Would Anyone Think Winning Is A Virtue?

Note to reader: I try to use this blog series to shape the work of Character.org. At the end of this post, I pose 3 Questions. If one sparks your imagination, I hope you will share with me your ideas. I’m eager to learn. The commentator Dana Loesch recently...

The Joy of Being a Grandparent

I became a grandfather for the first time this past week. The birth of my grandsonopened a floodgate of positive emotions and thoughts. Will he love both sportsand dancing (like his dad)? Will he love animals (like his mom)? Will he love JaneAustin (like my wife)? His...

Are Rules Becoming Obsolete?

Note to reader: I enjoy asking questions that could potentially shape and focus the work of Character.org. At the end of this short post I pose 5 Questions. If one of them sparks your imagination, I hope you will share your ideas with me. I’m eager to learn. ...

Character.org Recognizes 152 Promising Practices

Washington, DC (June 1, 2022) - Character.org, a national advocate and leader for character in schools and communities, today certified 152 Promising Practices in schools and organizations. "We are extremely proud to recognize the schools and organizations that have...

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Commitment

Parents need to commit to model and reinforce to their children the core values and character strengths that mean the most to them. They also need to be creative and offer meaningful experiences that illuminate how important these character strengths are to the family’s core values.

Conversations

We know “We need to talk” freaks kids out, but too often parents avoid having conversations about character, especially as children get older. While it may not be easy to talk sometimes, we know from the research that parents who avoid talking to their children about serious matters quickly lose trust and connection.

Celebration

Parents need to find ways for their children to be active participants in their own character growth. Optimal character development occurs when children begin to make self-motivated commitments to consistently practice a core value (e.g. “I want to be the kind of person who is always honest and shows up on time.”) Parents need to celebrate these moments to shape and define individual character.