courage

courage (n) the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief.

Since Saturday is ANZAC day, it seemed appropriate to write about teaching and practising courage with your child. Courage is not just for soldiers, but something that everyone needs in order to stand up for the values that they believe in and the people that they love. Your child will have many chances to learn about courage in their day to day lives from going to the doctor or making a presentation at school to standing up to peer pressure. You can help your child with developing courage by
  • talking with your children about courage and helping them understand courage
  • read stories and watch movies that show people being courageous. Two stories that come to my mind are Where the Wild Things Are and Hansel and Gretel.
  • point out situations in day to day life when you see people being courageous
  • talk to your child about their fears and ways to be brave
  • support your child in trying new activities without fear of failure. Encourage them to try despite difficulty.
  • be a good role model when facing problems in your life
These ideas are based on those in Everyday Opportunities for Extraordinary Parenting.


Comments

PlanningQueen said…
With my older child we talk about how he can be courageous in his decision making - emphasis on deciding against doing something that everyone else is doing because he knows it is wrong.
April 23, 2009 at 9:58 PM
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