Raising Kids with Integrity

Does your child act on her or his convictions and stand up for her or his beliefs? Having integrity can take a long time to learn, but the more a child practices this, the more likely she or he will develop this crucial value.

• Talk to your kids about what integrity means, and what it means to stand up for your own values. Ask them who they see as having a sense of integrity, and who they think backs down from their values in the face of adversity.
• As a family, identify role models with integrity whom you admire. These may include Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, or someone else. Learn about these individuals and how they learned to live a life of integrity.
• Applaud and support family members when they “do the right thing, even when it’s hard.” Maybe your child stepped in when another child was being teased. Or maybe your child admitted to cheating on a test—even though she knows the entire class cheated and she was the only one who got into trouble for her honesty.

• When someone with integrity admits to scandal or making a mistake, talk about this as a family. Talk about which actions you believe are most damaging and why. With older teenagers, discuss why leaders can be tempted to do the wrong thing.

Having values doesn’t mean much if you can’t stand up for them—an important lesson to impart upon your children. Everyone’s values and beliefs are tested at some point in their lives, and it takes strong conviction to stand up for them in the face of adversity. Help your children prepare for these times by encouraging them to have integrity, and set a good example by standing by your own beliefs, even when it’s hard.