“Work is doing it.
Discipline is doing it every day.
Diligence is doing it well every day.”
(Dave Ramsey)
The first virtue (godly character) that we are going to teach our children this year is DILIGENCE.
Diligence includes:
Self-drive
e.g. doing chores or studying without being told
Working with a joyful heart
e.g. doing chores or studying without grumbling
Consistency
e.g. doing chores or studying without giving up (even when things get hard or boring)
“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”
- Proverbs 6:6-8 (NLT)
Here are some teachable moments that can give us an opportunity to teach diligence to our children:
Our kids not doing his/her job (eg. homework, group projects, chores, not putting things back to its appropriate place)
Doing things half-heartedly
Doing chores while grumbling
Taking inappropriate shortcuts
…
Identifying the teachable moments is the first step. But, what’s next? How can we do it without our kids tuning out or rolling their eyes when we start telling them what to do?
Here are 4 ways to teach diligence without lecturing our kids:
1. Ask silly questions and mix it with real-life scenarios!
“Would you rather have a monkey’s tail or an elephant’s trunk?” (silly question);
“What would you do if a friend of yours refuses to do his part in your group project?” (real life scenario). Talk about it.
2. Share stories of family members demonstrating these virtues.
Tell a real story about how grandparents (or anyone your kids can relate to) overcame a challenge in the past by working hard.
3. Complete tasks together as a family
Set a study time together. Or set a timer and complete a family chore together.
“Let’s see how fast we can put all the toys back where they belong. Now the challenge is to break our last record: 7 minutes 20 seconds. Ready, set, go!”
4. Build diligence by serving the community together.
Get involved in a church ministry, which sometimes requires them to be there early, prepare, and help out with specific roles.
We hope your family can try these fun ways to teach diligence without lecturing our kids.
Please check out our Instagram posts for more on this topic:
Q & A about real-life struggles and practical tips on teaching diligence without lecturing
How to use the Scriptures to specifically pray about DILIGENCE for our children (part 1, 2, and 3)
We’d love to hear from you as well, so please comment below:
What are some common struggles at your home about diligence?
What are some tips you can share with other parents on teaching kids to be diligent?