Character Archives

3 Apr 2025

Eye rolls, yelling, arguing…sound familiar?

Have you ever looked at your child in the middle of an emotional meltdown and thought, ‘This isn’t who you really are?’ We’ve all been there.

Maybe they yelled at you in frustration, rolled their eyes and walked away. Maybe they started crying over something that seemed small to you but felt big to them, or argued over something insignificant, using anger to cover up their disappointment or sadness.

In those moments of frustration, anger, or sadness, it’s easy to lose sight of seeing beyond emotional reactions and forget – they are not defined by their emotions. They’re still a kind and thoughtful person, even when their emotions feel overwhelming. Because they’re still learning to navigate their feelings, those emotions can sometimes overshadow their true character. We must remember—they just haven’t learned how to regulate them yet.

As adults, we’ve had more time to learn—often through trial and error—how to manage emotions in a way that aligns with who we truly are.

Our kids? They’re still figuring it out. It’s our job to help guide them through these emotional reactions, teaching them how to process and respond to their feelings in a healthy way.

The next time you see a child struggling with an emotion, pause. See beyond the emotional reaction. Remind yourself who you know they are. Then ask yourself: ‘How can I help them recognize and work through this feeling?’

This is what I know: Parenting can be challenging, especially when a child’s emotions feel overwhelming. But beneath those emotions is a child still learning—one who needs our support, empathy, and understanding as they navigate life’s ups and downs.

Until next time,

8 Jan 2025

Boost Kids’ Confidence with Daily Intentions

Intentions are a wonderful opportunity to inspire kids to think about how they want to show up in their daily lives.

By encouraging them to set daily intentions focused on who they want to be (rather than just what they want to achieve), you help them align with their character. This practice nurtures emotional and mental well-being, fostering confidence and resilience throughout the year.

Creating daily intentions doesn’t mean every day will be perfect or without challenges. Rather, it’s about giving kids a tool to guide their choices and actions, especially when faced with difficult or awkward moments.

An intention is a simple, focused choice—a way to decide who they want to be or how they want to feel on any given day.

3 Steps to Make Daily Intentions Part of Their Routine

1. Choose One Intention: Encourage kids to pick a simple phrase that reflects how they want to approach the day. They can come up with their own or use suggestions like: ✨Today, I choose kindness. ✨I choose to be a good listener. ✨I am brave. ✨I will stay curious and keep learning. ✨I will speak kindly to myself. ✨I embrace new challenges with confidence. ✨I choose to be a good teammate.

2. Write It Down or Say It Aloud: Help them reinforce the daily intention by writing it on a sticky note, drawing a picture of it or saying it out loud.

3. Reflect and Check In: Throughout the day, ask how their intention is guiding them. For example, “How did choosing kindness help you with your friends today?”

This is what I know: By encouraging your child to set daily intentions, you’re helping them develop a growth mindset. This simple practice sets them up to face challenges with courage and adaptability, making the year ahead an opportunity for emotional and personal growth.

Until next time…

6 Nov 2024

Guiding Children’s Choices

Just like a GPS needs a destination to guide us, our brain also works best when it focuses on a specific end result. Similarly, having a clear destination can guide children’s choices, helping them navigate challenges with confidence and purpose.

In life, a child’s ‘GPS destination’ needs to be rooted in their character. This gives them a clear sense of direction, helping them make choices that align with their character. Just like a GPS needs a destination to guide us, our brain also works best when it focuses on a specific end result.

When they don’t have a ‘character destination’ like kindness, honesty, responsibility and determination to help guide their choices, they can easily become sidetracked by their emotions and life’s challenging circumstances.

Three Tips to Help Your Child Set Their ‘Character Destination’

1. Discuss Character Traits: Help them figure out three-character traits they would like to be known for (use this worksheet for inspiration). Encourage them to think about how they might put each chosen trait into practice. This makes character traits real and achievable.

2. Compliment Character: When your child demonstrates their chosen character trait, be specific in your praise. For example, if they chose kindness and helped a struggling friend, say, “I noticed how kind you were when you helped your friend.” By recognizing their efforts, you reinforce how their character destination can guide children’s choices in positive and meaningful ways.

3. Encourage Reflection on Choices: At the end of the day, help your child reflect on how their choices aligned (or didn’t) with their ‘character destination’. Remind them that emotions can sometimes pull them off course. When that happens, reassure them that it’s okay to pause, reset and refocus on making choices based on their character.

This is what I know: By helping your child create and follow a ‘character destination’, you’re giving them a ‘roadmap’ to navigate life’s ups and downs. This strategy not only builds resilience but also guides children’s choices ensuring they stay true to the character traits that matter most to them.

Until next time…

11 Sep 2024

Transform Your Child’s Relationships

Guiding your child to understand the value of being a good friend lays the foundation for positive connections and meaningful relationships.

My son and I frequently discuss the kind of person and friend he wants to be, focusing on the qualities that make for a true friend.

Each morning, before Kai leaves for school, I ask him to choose a specific character trait to guide his choices throughout the day. Today, he chose ‘kindness,’ which sparked a conversation about ways he could show it— keep promises and be dependable, showing that he can be counted on and support his friends in situations where they might need help.

I shared with him a piece of wisdom I’ve realized over time: when showing kindness feels difficult, it’s often because emotions like anger, sadness, jealousy, or disappointment are getting in the way.

By helping your child see that their emotions affect their choices, they are strengthening their self-awareness, resilience and their ability to connect and create friendships.

Until next time…