Five Factors That Make Families of Character Different
Families of Character is a tested, discussion-based program that assists parents in developing virtues in their families. The program is a five-month commitment initially, with the option to renew for the second five months of the first year’s program. After the first year, groups have the ability to renew annually for up to three additional years; there are a total of 40 virtues all together if couples choose to complete the entire course. A group of dedicated parents meet once a month for a few hours, in the convenience of their homes, and discuss the virtue and vices associated with a particular issue. A Study Guide provides participants with information on each virtue and a curriculum that assists the individuals in developing a plan to put the virtue into practice on a daily basis.
Collaborating with peers encourages families to hold each other accountable and often creates a community of friends and support. We’ve found that this approach is more effective than lectures and self-study programs because your group helps you follow through with your goals and allows you to discuss your progress on a regular basis.
Families of Character provides thirty days worth of practical materials, which support the participants’ daily work on each virtue. It takes time to break a bad habit and acquire a good one in its place, we’ve found that thirty days of practice transforms knowledge into habit.
Families of Character begins immediately to work on the development of virtues in children. We encourage participants not to wait for a problem to arise before beginning the program. Families of Character helps young families begin to lay the groundwork for successful adulthood before children hit the difficult pre-teen years. For families whose children have already passed this stage, Families of Character helps parents think and act proactively and provide their kids with the most helpful guidance at later stages in their lives.
Families of Character begins with you. Children learn most about character by watching, imitating and trying to exemplify the traits of the people whom they admire, such as their parents. If you think it is hard to teach positive character traits to your children now—and it is—consider how hard it will be in later years when your children begin to make their own choices about things such as drugs, sex, and friends. When bad things happen to your children, they will be in a much better position to deal with them if they have good character.
Families of Character helps parents create a common basis for discipline, which avoids sending mixed messages about what behavior is appropriate for your children. For example, suppose one of your children smarts off to you in public. You might immediately punish your child, where your spouse might not do anything. The child, then, will learn to treat each parent differently. But if parents communicate with each other about their goals for their children and talk about their children’s progress in regard to those goals, the children will be receiving consistent messages.
Families of Character helps you set tangible goals for your family and evaluates your progress in our peer discussion groups. The keys to successful families are clear long and short-term goals, unity of purpose between the spouses, and human virtues, that is, character. Families of Character puts these all together.