PK through third grade
Your child needs explicit, patient guidance in order to internalize respect, kindness, and other important values. Also, when you take your child’s transgressions seriously, you’re planting seeds of moral awareness that will influence your child’s behavior later.
“The parents of morally mature teenagers responded to their children’s transgressions with both clear teaching and deep feeling”
Key Strategies
- Provide explicit guidance:
- “Don’t interrupt people; instead, wave your hand or tap them to request their attention.”
- “When a person is talking to you, look them in the eye.”
- “When somebody greets you by name, use their name to greet them back.”
- Practice emotive discipline by raising your voice strategically and then:
- Pointing out the consequences of your child’s behavior
- Teaching your child about the impact of their behavior — things you might think they would know, but don’t
- Laying down a simple moral absolute such as “Never pull hair!” or “Never make fun of people who look or act differently”
Additional Resources
Book: How to Raise Kind Kids, Thomas Lickona
Character Teaching