Aidan Cassidy On How to Encourage Good Character in Children

As a public servant, councilmember, and Sunday school teacher, Aidan Cassidy has built his career on good character. He has used his influence to help his community and his church congregation. For over 10 years, he and his wife have worked with the church's youth to help instill good character in the children of his church and his community. To Cassidy, judgment, imagination, intentions, motives, temperament, and love work together to create a person's moral standing. The balance of each of these pieces will set individuals apart. While some might be born with strong character, others can learn it. To become the most positive version of one's self, Aidan Cassidy says that people, especially children, can learn to build their ideal character. The Pillars of Good Character To develop good character in children, Cassidy says that it should be instilled at a young age, and at a deep level. Positive actions and behaviors should become automatic. He explains that the main components of a respectable character include: Respect Caring Fairness Responsibility Trustworthiness Self-Control He adds that courage, integrity, and diligence round out the list to create a model of a strong identity. Aidan Cassidy suggests that when working with children, adults can focus on one component at a time and find creative ways to highlight it. In his Sunday school class, he uses stories from the Bible to illustrate each of these traits. He works with children to explore how ancient people exuded them. Set Good Rules As a Bible Study leader, Cassidy was tasked with setting the tone of his class and creating rules for proper behavior. He incorporated the ideals of good character into these guidelines that he asked children to abide by. Aidan Cassidy explains that by discussing these rules and the traits that are embodied within them, teachers and leaders can put good character into action. They can help children live out strong behaviors by starting them in the classroom. Require Respect Children should have a clear understanding of respect, including self-respect. Negativity, judgment, and abuse should never be tolerated. As children grow into teens and adults, they must be able to respect authority, as well as those around them. Show Love Children understand the affectionate side of love. However, they may not understand that love sometimes requires putting someone else first. People of strong character will be able to put their own desires aside and work for a greater good. Cassidy says that parents and youth leaders should challenge children to let their friends take a turn first when it is time to do something enjoyable. Give them plenty of opportunity to practice selflessness by incorporating it into everyday situations. Highlight Good Role Models In his Sunday class, Aidan Cassidy uses the Bible to showcase good role models for the children. He explains that kids will choose their own role models, whether an adult helps them or not. By making a point of highlighting good behavior through his Bible lessons, he deliberately teaches children about individuals who his students can imitate. From time to time, he asks students to act out scenes from the book, and allows them to make "better" choices for the people in the stories. This allows children to be safely put in a challenging situation, and have the opportunity to assess it, and make more wholesome choices. Encourage Patience As a youth study leader, Cassidy regularly encounters children who have difficulty with patience. Lack of patience is a common concern for many parents, but it is fairly simple to address. Children have a difficult time waiting for their turn, sitting through a long sermon, and many other everyday activities. While Cassidy refers to the Bible to teach his children about patience, other parents and leaders can explore a variety of approaches. He underscores the importance of reminding children how important patience is, and he suggests encouraging them to make it through an activity without complaints. Turn patience into a game with clear goals and rules. It even helps to offer ways for children to constructively entertain themselves while waiting. As a public servant, local leader, and youth teacher, Aidan Cassidy works to improve his self-control every single day. His actions as a professional, as well as a family man, directly impact those around him. To Cassidy, controlling one's urges and focusing on the greater good is one of the most important elements of strong character. This trait should be emphasized at a very young age in order to ensure that children understand, grasp, and exude it. As they grow, children will be able to monitor their own actions, police their behavior, and evaluate their decisions before acting. Cassidy suggests challenging children to count to five before they react or respond to anything that excites them. When they are counting, remind them to ask if their decision is the right thing to do or say. His experience in the public spotlight has only strengthened his determination to becoming a man of better character. Aidan Cassidy uses his unique opportunities as a public servant and a Sunday school teacher to help others through his positive actions and teachings.

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Aidan Cassidy On How to Encourage Good Character in Children

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