The core virtue of humanity is comprised of the character strengths of love, kindness and social intelligence. Humanity is the ability to see the connectedness of all human beings; it is the ability to help and befriend others. One of the gifts of human beings is our ability to love. We love our families. We […]
Category Archive:
Leadership
Teaching Courage
Courage, as one of the core virtues recognized in the field of positive psychology, incorporates four character strengths—bravery, persistence, integrity and vitality. Courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or difficulties with self-possession, confidence and resolution. How do we help our children develop these strengths […]
Freedom Within Limits Of Responsibility
Freedom and responsibility are linked together. We are free to act when we have the right and also take responsibility. For example, in our society, we have the right to drive a car. We exercise this privilege to drive by taking the responsibility to learn how to drive, get a license, have a car and […]
Teaching Wisdom And Knowledge
Wisdom and knowledge. Some people mistakenly use these terms interchangeably. Knowledge is the state of familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. We know something because we have taken information in through our senses or mind. Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. Wisdom is common […]
The Positive Psychology Of Childhood
“The families I see day in and day out come to me to fix problems. If they had done some preparation before becoming parents, a lot of pain could have been avoided,” said Debra, a family psychologist. “It’s much more fun and rewarding to help people learn to create happy families from the beginning, instead […]
The Spiritual Role Of Family
It’s uncomfortable to consider. Some of us would rather not consider it at all. To our children, we are their first experience of the divine, the all powerful, the all-knowing, with a human face. We fix ZuZu’s petals. We are our children’s miracle makers. Our ability to create can be a double-edged sword by wielding […]
The Child’s Inherent Love Of Nature
What do you do to find yourself when you are out of sorts? Frustrated? Sorrowful? Despairing? If you are like most people, you try to find a quiet spot to commune with nature and seek peace or solace. Solace, a word from the Latin sol for sun, meaning to find the sun. We have to […]
Imagination In The Young Child
Imagination is the ability to visualize something that is not physically present. Infants have little if any imagination. If the familiar is gone, distress and tears usually follow. A new situation, such as being left alone, can be painful to the child until the child learns that this situation is safe or parents return. Experiences, […]
Children Seek To Create A Flow Of Activity
Up. Down. Up. Down. Eight-month-old Dana stood holding onto the coffee table doing deep knee bends. Day after day, over two hundred at a time, perhaps thousands a day. In amazement, I watched as Dana tirelessly exercised. There was no way I could do a thousand deep knee bends in a day, or at least […]
A Child’s Actions Are Development Driven
“What’s that? What’s that?” two-year-old Joshua asked about every new person, place, item or sound encountered on a shopping excursion. Tim and Marcy, Joshua’s parents, began to realize that their chances for a conversation or a cup of coffee on this outing were futile. Joshua’s behavior made it truly “out of the question”. Joshua fussed […]