B!Character Strength: Friendship

Guidelines for parents of 3rd and 4th year of Primary School - October Character Strength

GOAL SLOGAN: I CAN ACCEPT OTHERS

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

The questions below are designed to help you think about how you can help from home   with the skills development programme your child is taking part in.

  1. Do I try to accept and respect the feelings of my child or do I think that he has to think and feel in a way that I consider to be appropriate?
  2. Do I try to ensure that my children’s use of their freedom extends? Do we give them options to choose from? Do I make an effort so that they take decisions?
  3. Do we provide support to our children with their friendships? Do we let them invite friends over? Do we let them go to their friends’ houses? What (logical) conditions do we impose? Is my son aware of the criteria we have for inviting someone over?

HOW CAN WE HELP?

The suggestions below show when personal parental involvement is necessary. The aim of the subjects proposed is to demonstrate where you might be able to support your child and help him to work on developing this month’s skill.

  1. By responding to any anxiety he may have by trying to accept his feelings instead of denying them. If, for example he tells you that he has lost his pencil, don’t say it doesn’t matter, we’ll buy you another one.” Instead try and acknowledge his feelings, with a phrase like “Oh, what a shame, it was the one your grandmother gave you.”
  2. Help your child to overcome shame or embarrassment with polite details in public places, things like giving up your seat to the elderly or letting them go first, greeting people in the street, and taking his turn when in a shop.
  3. Try to ensure that they respect the conversations of others, waiting their turn to speak and not interrupting.
Other Strengths:

Management of the environment

Open mindedness

Justice

Sobriety

Courage

Leadership

Citizenship

Personal dimension

Interior

Study

Creativity

Optimism

Ideals

Tidiness

Responsability

Prudence

Outdoor

Strength

Self-esteem

Integrity

Eagerness to learn

Gratitude

Openness to others

Interpersonal dimension

Communication

Friendship

Perseverance

Cooperation

Honesty

Generosity