Consistency is key in character training, but consistency is also hard! Building Godly character in your kids requires time and planning which can be overwhelming. But, here’s the good news. With any of my favorite character-building resources, it doesn’t have to be hard!
Let’s take a look together. The first four resources are mine. I discovered a need when training my own kids in character, so I wrote them. The rest of them are tools I have found that are excellent resources!
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My Favorite Character Building Resources
The Mini Character Building Boot Camp
This is your first step to fun and consistent character training. It offers 6 weeks of foundational character lessons. Your child will learn 3 key character traits – obedience, attentiveness, and self-control all while having fun in the process!
There are bonus materials in the boot camp PLUS an upgrade option for an accountability group to help keep you on track!! Join the group where you’ll be a part of a community, receive additional teaching tips and encouragement, more printables, and Q & A sessions with Kathie during the 6 weeks!
What a great way to teach character AND keep the kids busy this summer! Check it out here
Little Lads & Ladies Of Virtue Preschool/Early Elementary Character Curriculum
This book provides you with 6 months of character lessons, that require very minimal preparation. 24 character qualities are taught, with a week of lessons for each of the traits.
The lessons provided in this character curriculum are:
- A definition for the trait
- A memory verse
- 3 “I WILL” statements that relate to applying the character quality in their daily life
- Games, object lessons, or role-play
- A prayer for the child to pray about applying what they have learned
- A coloring page for each lesson.
- A reward chart with a picture for them to color and space to display the character badges that they earn each week.
(Available in print/bound form, or digital download.)
Lads & Ladies Of Wisdom Elementary Character Curriculum
This curriculum provides you with 5 months of character lessons, which will take minimal preparation, and can be taught in 5-10 minutes a day. There are 5 daily lessons a week.
The lessons provided in this character curriculum are:
- A weekly memory verse,
- 3-4 KEYS that relate to applying the character quality in their daily life,
- Games, object lessons, or role-play,
- A prayer for the child to pray about applying what they have learned.
- A coloring page for each lesson.
- A reward chart with a treasure chest and space to display the “treasure” that they earn each week as they grow in wisdom.
(Available in print/bound form, or digital download.)
Training & Correcting the Heart With Scripture
The book includes a Bible study of 21 character qualities. You will look at the Bible commands concerning them, the negative consequences of them, and the positive consequences of following God’s way instead. The information provided in this set is given to help parents make the most of each opportunity they have to train their children “in righteousness”, using His Word.
The 2nd section includes a list of common wrong behaviors and Bible references that relate, making it easy for you to take your kids to Scripture and show them what God says about their behavior.
(Available in print/bound form, or digital download.)
Character Building For Families
A topical Bible study for parents and children, Character Building for Families, Volume 1 is designed to be used for family devotions or homeschool Bible/character curriculum.
The 165 lessons (approximately one school year) are designed to be done by parents with their children and include reading Bible passages together, thought-provoking discussion, Bible memorization, practical application, and prayer.
Each lesson takes about 20 minutes to complete. The studies are written at an elementary level, accommodate large or small families, and can be reused again and again.
(Available in print, bound version only.)
Good & Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character
Recognizing the very real emotions parents feel, Good and Angry taps into the constructive side of your anger and teaches new strategies for addressing the things your child does that drive you crazy.
Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, & Bad Attitudes In You and Your Kids
Honor is more than just behavior change. Honor comes from the heart. It affects the way people think, the way they act, and the way they treat others around them. Honor motivates parents to treat children differently. It gives children more constructive ways to interact with their parents. It helps siblings develop tolerance and patience. Honor builds incredibly strong bonds that, in turn, benefit all members of the family. This book shows you in practical ways how honor can transform your family.
Knights In Training: Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous, and Compassionate Boys
Bringing chivalry back into our modern-day world, this book shows us how to inspire today’s generation of young boys to pursue honor, courage, and compassion.
In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? This book helps parents to inspire their boys by captivating their imagination and honoring their love for adventure. Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights’ Code of Chivalry, as depicted in the French epic Song of Roland, and how boys can embody these same ideals now.
When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives.
Girls Created To Shine
Girls Created to Shine is a 12-week Course in God’s Word + Today’s Issues + Hands-on Application
- This course will help you teach your tween girl by topic but remains deeply rooted in God’s word.
- It’s designed to address real-life struggles and questions they face today.
- It will save you time. All the prep work is done for you so you can teach and share from the heart.
- You follow a simple repeated format and have ideas for questions to ask and answers so you don’t get stuck while teaching.
- You can teach this even if you don’t have a lot of scripture knowledge! It’s all laid out for you to dig into and learn together.
Hero Training
Hero training is a fun, hands-on, 12-week program for parents to do with their kids that will help them build character and learn more about Jesus.
- Improve behavior issues through building character skills
- Open the lines of communication with your child on matters of the heart and character
- Help your child learn more about the person and heart of Jesus
- All while taking a playful approach that is tons of fun
Parenting With Proverbs
Parenting with Proverbs offers parents a simple method to use biblical proverbs to teach and correct their children. The book contains…
- A detailed explanation of the “Proverbs Method” of teaching
- A catalogue of some of the most helpful proverbs, categorized by topic
- A list of conversations questions that help parents engage their children with proverbial wisdom
The Heart of Humility
The Heart of Humility is a 30-lesson family devotional that helps your children understand the importance of putting others first. Focusing on Philippians 2:1-18, the study unearths a dozen biblical motivations for why we should strive to be humble. Most importantly, the study focused on the ultimate example of humility by studying the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ.
There are lots of great choices to help you but these are definitely my favorite character-building resources! Which one are you going to start with?
I already have some of these resources and love them. But I have saved this post so that I can refer back to it when needed, to order some of the other resources listed. Thank you, Kathie!
You’re welcome!!
Do you have any resource suggestions for teens?
Hi Denise! Character Building for Families is great for teens (even though they describe it as for younger kids). We used it with our teens and younger ones combined. I also liked Christian Character by Gary Maldaner — very conservative, which is what we like. The Teenage Years of Jesus Christ is good, as well as my study of Psalm 119: Learning To Treasure God’s Word.
Hello Kathie and readers,
I’m the author of Character Building for Families. I saw the question about character building resources for teens. Besides Character Building for Families, we have a similar, workbook-style book for adults and older teens, called “River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,” available at our website.
We also still offer Character Building for Families in a sturdy comb-bound edition at our website — and it is a little cheaper than at Amazon, with free shipping in U. S.
You can also see sample lessons for both Character Building for Families and River Life at our website.
Kathie, would you be willing to provide a link to our website, instead of (or in addition to) the Amazon link? Much appreciated if you could. 🙂 Thank you!