Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Cynthia G. Knowlton

Regional Extension Agent/4-H

November 29, 2011

Building Your Child’s Character

Character Education is as old as education itself. Down through history, education has had two great goals: to help people become smart and to help them become good. If you want to strengthen your children's moral character: 

• they should have a strong sense of being loved and valued,
• have good, consistent limits set for them with a rationale for the limits,
• practice what you preach, and
• teach them in a way that fits their unique learning styles.

There is a lot of adversity and choices to make in life so we all need to develop character. Being equipped with a strong character arms adults with the ability to handle hard times, solve the problems in everyday life, and know how to grow and take meaning from unpleasant experiences. Obviously, it goes without saying that this is why children must be taught good character traits and values that include everything from patriotism to responsibility, just to name a few. 4-H is one of the organizations that integrate character building in their programs and instill different values in their members. Through Alabama

4-H, youth learn about the importance of the Six Pillars of Character:

• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Fairness
• Caring
• Citizenship

It is important for you to believe in the values that you want to teach your child. The best way of instilling these character traits in your children is to embody these values yourself. If you demonstrate your respect for authority, your child is more likely to follow your lead. Children are easily influenced, especially by the people who matter to them, like their family members, and they can easily emulate the everyday actions and behavior of their parents. Giving children consistent teachings is very important for parents.

The purpose of 4-H is to foster skill development in young people. Youth are given opportunities to select from a variety of programs and projects. Individuality is valued, and each person is encouraged to discover his or her own skills, talents, and interests. 4-H helps young people learn to make decisions, think critically, build relationships, practice leadership, and develop a concern for their community and their world. All of this is needed for success in today’s world. For more information about Baldwin County 4-H, contact Cynthia Knowlton at 251/937-7176 or at knowlcg@aces.edu.

Email address: cknowlto@aces.edu

Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Baldwin County Extension Programs are supported by the Baldwin County Commission.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.