What do we want our children to learn? What kind of people do we want them to be?

That's a mighty big subject and one which won't be covered in one blog, but let's at least get started on it.

What kind of people do we want them to be?  Do we want them to be honest?  If so, then that has to be held up to them as desirable and attainable.  It has to be modeled before them and praised not only when honesty is demonstrated by them, but also needs to be evident in what they see, hear, and experience in life.  So, in their reading material and what they watch on t.v., honest people should be shown as admirable.  Remember George Washington and the cherry tree that he chopped down but could not tell a lie about doing it?  When that story was written, it was believed that stories illustrating the virtue of honesty were necessary to teach and train children.  Do we really think that somehow children no longer need that training in honesty?  Are we practicing that in our educational system?

I think that a lot of what children see today points them toward getting away with whatever they can, just so they don't get caught.  Honesty is portrayed as a bit old fashioned, and only "losers" are really honest. Cheating is rampant and many times is just laughed about.  The polls reveal that a lot of people are doing it. The newspaper headlines say that many teachers are cheating and helping students to do it, too!

Have we forgotten, or never learned, that lying is an abomination in the sight of God?  That liars shall have no place in the kingdom of God?  That one of the Ten Commandments given to us by God states, "Thou shall not bear false witness?"  Since it's wrong in God's sight, shouldn't it be wrong in ours?

Children learn what they're taught.  We just haven't focused on character building education for the most part.  Has honesty been valued enough to be given priority in our children's education, both at home and at school? Years ago children were fed a steady diet of inspiring stories from  the lives of good people who struggled through many hardships and handicaps to accomplish great deeds and become honorable people of good character.

What was it Teddy Roosevelt said?  Something like, "To educate a child in mind but not morals creates a menace to society."   It seems like we've been seeing more and more of that lately.  Perhaps we need to take another look at what it takes to build good character in our children, if we want them to be people of integrity and good character.  I believe we can find it if we look.