Inspiring Courage in Your Children
Photo by Leah Huyghe on Unsplash
Courage
(Content adapted from Character First Education’s unit study. Used with permission for educational use.)
Definition: Overcoming fear so I can do what is right.
Courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means “heart.” A courageous person “takes heart” when things look hopeless. Instead of shrinking back when you are afraid, courage means overcoming your fear so you can do what is right.
Courage BEGINS by knowing what is good, true, and right. This gives you confidence that you are heading in the right direction. When you face a problem, ask yourself, “What is the right thing to do… and why?” This will help you know why you believe something must be done.
Another way to build courage is to think through what you should do in specific situations. For example, what should you do if you wake up and hear a smoke alarm in your home? What should you do if a stranger asks you to get into his car? What should you do if you see someone being teased or bullied?
Thinking ahead will help you overcome fear and make better choices when you face strange, difficult, or frightening situations.
I WILL statements:
Know the truth. When you know what is true and right, it is easier to take a courageous stand.
Get help when I am afraid. Always have people in your life who can be a “safe place” when you need help.
Do what is right. Doing the right thing is not always easy or popular. But that’s what a courageous person does.
Be willing to stand alone. Hopefully others will stand with you in doing what is right. But if not, courage means being willing to stand alone.
Help those who are bullied or abused. If you see someone being hurt, bullied, or abused, do something about it. Speak up, get help, and be a “good neighbor” to those in need.
Peer Pressure
Consider these examples of courage and character, especially if doing the right this is difficult or unpopular.
Discretion — to refrain from laughing at inappropriate jokes.
Attentiveness — to listen in class instead of talking with friends.
Self-Control — to say “no” to alcohol and other drugs.
Respect — to speak kindly to others instead of mocking or making fun.
Compassion — to help those in need instead of picking on them.
Honesty — to not cheat on a test or help others cheat.
Obedience — to follow classroom rules, even when the teacher is not watching.
January Giveaway
Congratulations to Yossi Lapid for winning this month’s giveaway. I happen to know Yossi is a pretty famous children’s author. Click here for his Amazon author page. Yossi, I’ll send you an email shortly.
About the author
Yossi Lapid was born in a small town in Romania where toy stores were absent, but stories and snowmen were abundant. In 2016, he launched an award-winning children's book series titled "Snowman Paul". In July 2019, he launched a new book series titled "Yara's Rainforest" which teaches children that all living things on our beautiful planet depend on one another. Lapid holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has three children and lives with his wife Susan and a little dog named Sasha in New Mexico.
Suggested Reads:
This is a new section of my blog where I mention various author’s books, some of which you may enjoy. I have not read these books, but have joined Story Origin App for marketing purposes. In this free app, authors select similar genres to swap newsletters or group promos to build their email lists, get reviews, and so on. Readers can find free downloads for other books, too.
To promote the Emeline series, I narrowed the field with filters, but if I selected too many, I had no options other than my own books. You may find some of these books are not young adult, or they’re romance, mystery, or fantasy, etc. Pick and choose to your liking.
This time, I’m mentioning a book by author Dienece Darling. Her story sounds interesting to me. Click on her name or the image below for the book’s description and a free download. Enjoy!
Below are downloadable samples for each of my books. Hope you like them!