All Articles for Character Development

Parents want their kids to have qualities like love, joy, and patience, but is it possible to teach the fruit of the Spirit? Where should we start?

In the face of yet another epic failure or season of pure pain, God often creates beauty and an unforgettable teachable moment.

In a first world country, our kids know that everything they could ever want to buy is accessible. How do we teach them the value of things and money?

Many parents fall into the well-meaning mishap of clearing an easy path for their kids, regardless of the cost. Have you?

Most kids on today’s campuses probably fall into the category of “bystander.” They know they should probably do something, but they don’t.

My husband and I are raising our daughters to identify with who God designed them to be, embrace the characteristics He gave them, and develop confidence in the goodness of their Maker.

The patterns I saw in my child’s behavior opened my eyes to the damage my phone had done.

A list for parents who want their children to know their love and God’s love.

Teaching your children to help others is a lifetime gift to them and to everyone they encounter.

Don't ever think that training your child's language is in vain.

Filling our hearts and minds with the things of God will quench the hunger that the world cannot.

Training preschoolers can be overwhelming, but starting small will build a strong foundation for more lessons to come.

The undeniable fact is that God expects parents to lead the family.

As parents we can grow accustomed to doing everything for our young children and lose the opportunity to teach them responsibility.

How the high school coach of NBA star LeBron James teaches his players about the value of serving others.

We need to help our kids carefully discern good from evil without developing hearts that condemn others.

Answer these questions with honesty, humility, and dependence on God's power.

Training our kids to be good conversationalists is an example of living out the second great commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is disciplined speech.

Karis Kimmel Murray describes the “Murray Family Code.” She and her husband developed these rules to emphasize practical and biblical expectations for how family members will live and treat each other.

Youth entitlement seems to have reached epidemic proportions in both my family and society as a whole.

If we had only 30 minutes to talk with you, here's the advice we would pass on.

A few specifics that teenagers need to learn about the opposite sex.

No matter how skillful you are, only God is sovereign over your children.

Advice on how to meet all their needs, but not all their wants.

Three suggestions for modeling conflict resolution to your kids.

What are some ways to teach my children about money?

Help your children take responsibility for their actions.

A champion gymnast learns that healing for her troubled relationship with her father takes more than hard work and determination. An excerpt from a new book, Growing Together in Forgiveness.

By building your child's character, you can help shape the future.

We need to realize that we are not just asking for an apology, but we are also training their consciences.

Gratitude is not natural; it must be nurtured.

When we got out of the car, I could tell I had picked a bad day to bring a little kid to the mall.

Lying, no matter how small, is a big deal. If our children are going to develop the discipline to always embrace the truth, it will be with our help.

These steps will help you keep track of the truth.

As we shape our children’s convictions we need to be careful to give them God’s perspective of lies, false appearances, and misrepresentations of the truth.

Here are some ways to test how well your child is handling the deceit trap.

We need to model and teach a commitment to excellence.

A life of integrity is a life you can trust.

Using chores to teach responsibility.

This can be a time in your child’s life when she can begin to wean herself from her parents and begin to form her own identity.

The child who is developing more complex thinking abilities now has a better set of tools to use in being deceitful.

Do your children know what you expect of them when they spend the night with a friend?

Our children have approached their simple household chores with all the enthusiasm normally expressed for a root canal.

You can use all sorts of methods to teach your children how to earn, save, invest, and spend wisely.

Your children are watching where you spend your time, money, and resources.

Parenting isn’t just a manual task—it’s the shaping of a life.

The beloved coach was raised by a father who believed in building character.

Our love will be the stabilizing power that I hope God will use to pull this child through these turbulent times.

Guidance for teaching your children to be sensitive to potential danger.

Toddlers make mothers feel like they have lost control of the family.

Our children need to catch a vision for being an ambassador for Christ.

Eight "foundation builders" to help parents as they seek to cultivate strong friendships with their young children.

What chores can children do at specific ages? The following chart gives some ideas of what is possible.

Manners were God's idea first.

Here's a list of values and character traits that helped us focus on biblical priorities in our parenting.

Ten ways to ensure that your child will not succeed.

Four tips for interacting with a stubborn child.

Here's help if you're concerned about how your children talk to you and to each other.