Wendy Horbinski

Laws of Life Coordinator

Wendy will be leading our Laws of Life Essay Contest. Until her recent retirement, Wendy was principal of Necedah Elementary school in Necedah, Wisconsin. She also served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Necedah school district. Her school has been recognized by Character.org for several Promising Practices.

“As a school leader working with students, families, and staff, two maxims guided my daily practice, Actions speak louder than words, and Never judge a book by its cover.“

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.