Do you want the best for your children? To help them develop strong ethics and high moral standards? And become caring, trustworthy citizens of the future? Of course you do. 

My name is Ellie Dixon and I have a daughter of my own, although she’s all grown up now, and doing very well at college. (yes, I’m a proud Mom!!)

When she was a kid I remember tearing my hair out trying to teach her the same decent moral values and respects that I learned as a child .... values that sometimes seem to have been lost in today’s world.

At last I went to talk to my own Mom and asked her where I was going wrong.  I’d read all the books about Building Character, Parenting Secrets, Raising Well-Behaved Kids etc, but I just didn’t seem to be able to communicate these wonderful messages to my own daughter.

Mom, bless her, didn’t make me feel stupid.  She explained that an important part of being a kid is learning about the world through fun activities and books.  My daughter didn’t like it when I was too earnest, or when she thought I was preaching at her.  She just wanted me to either lighten up or leave them alone.  All the advice I’d read was great, but I didn’t have the practical tools to engage with my child.

Then Mom went up to the attic and fetched down a collection of books that she’d saved from my own childhood.  The memories came flooding back as we looked through them together.  She pointed out that while these were entertaining, exciting stories, with beautiful pictures, they also communicated strong moral values in a fun way.  She used to read them with me and then make up little activities we could do together, all the time building good moral character, without my even realising it!!

There’s so much emphasis these days on style, presentation, the way you look to others - rather than what’s really important - the way you are on the inside.

Mom always used to tell me that what’s in your heart is what really counts.  Beauty fades, but good character qualities last forever ... and are what make you loved and respected your whole life through, from kid, to adult, and as an older person.

The love and respect that come with good character.

What a wonderful, lifelong gift to give your child!

As Mom and I sat together turning over the pages, Emma, who was about 7 at the time, demanded to know what we were looking at.

Very soon she was entranced by the story of Little Orphan Spikey, the baby hedgehog who wakes up all alone.  She cried real tears when Mrs Squirrel called him a "nasty little bunch of prickles" so no-one would play with him and was overjoyed when he found true friendship.

And of course, all the time she was learning about prejudice and exclusion and empathising with the pain and loneliness these can cause.  She then discovered the value of compassion, caring and true friendship as Spikey was helped to find a friend who didn’t mind his prickles.

When we’d finished she begged for the story again and again.

In fact, it was her favorite bedtime story for several weeks!

Over the months we worked our way through Mom’s collection of books, and Emma began to absorb, and take notice of, the messages they held.

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child character, child book character, developing godly character in child, character building for child, character education for child