Creating a society with good citizens starts from childhood. Children grow up according to the values, beliefs, and principles that they are taught and exposed to. If people want a community filled with good role models or good citizens, they should start by teaching their kids what it means to be good at a young age. Suppose the community wants its citizens to be composed of kind and compassionate citizens. In that case, they should start teaching children what it means to be kind and compassionate at an early age. The book The Poppies on the Hill by Ted Landkammer is the epitome of teaching children good values and good manners, especially when it comes to respecting the elderly. The book is set in the background of the poppies on the hill in the springtime, where the kids made friends with a lovely elderly lady. A light and entertaining children’s book, The Poppies on the Hill, reflects on a friendship marked with fun and laughter up along the hills filled with poppies.
How to Build Kids’ Character
Developing good character in kids might seem challenging, especially for parents. Ultimately, it should be the goal of not only the parents but of society as well. It is akin to a personal achievement if parents can instill good values in their kids, and it’s a long-term investment that society should invest in if they want a good turnout of good citizens in their community. Here are some of the ways how to develop and instill good character and values in children:
Be the Role Model
Ever heard the saying “learning by example”? One of the effective ways of teaching kids good character traits is being “the” example of what a person with good character is. Kids always tend to imitate what the adults in their environment are doing. If the adults are swearing, cursing, and doing other nasty things, children will think that these are acceptable behaviors and will start to mimic these behaviors. But if adults are soft-spoken, respectful, kind, and generous, kids will also copy these good traits.
Pay Attention to the Children
Paying attention means listening and understanding what the children are doing and trying to communicate. This is a good practice for them to know what being empathetic is. Empathy means putting oneself in the shoes of other people or the ability to share and understand another person’s feelings. By nature, children long for attention coming from their parents. They tend to obey whatever the adults teach them if attention is given. Similar to a give and take relationship. The adult provides the attention the children want by listening, paying close attention to what the children are doing, and in return, they eventually will gain the kids’ undivided attention. And once the adults have the kids’ full attention, it’s time to teach the kids the good values that they need to learn.
Practice the Habit of Saying Thank You
One of the most significant character traits an adult could teach a kid is the character of being grateful or appreciative. Saying “thank you” gives off a generous and kind personality. It’s also an excellent way to teach kids to be positive in life. Being thankful always opens up an individual to life’s good fortunes and blessings, not to mention developing a positive habit. Saying thank you could come in the simplest form of saying thank you when somebody opens the door for another, or someone comes to assist another person in need of help, or something as simple as an individual acknowledging the roof on top of their head, or the complete meals that they eat in a day.
The book The Poppies on the Hill highlights the significance of respect and friendship, specifically between an elderly and a child. Ted Landkammer’s book is a light reading that both kids and adults can enjoy. It is a story that different generations can enjoy. And it is a book that personifies kids with good characters.
Find out more about the story of The Poppies on the Hill by Ted Landkammer. Grab a copy of the book now on Amazon, or visit the author’s website.