The Honorable Charactersystem changed the way my son felt about school, changed the motivations of my daughter and influenced the way I corrected my children at home. My son had issues with maintaining focus and his self-control in the classroom in his prior school. He was eager to learn, but he had trouble self-regulating his behavior and would react negatively whenever corrected by his teachers. He was beginning to lose confidence in himself and believe that he could not control his emotions or behavior. When he was introduced to a new school and classroom that utilized the Honorable Charactersystem, he went from several meltdowns each week, to a nearly perfect behavior record for an entire school year. He clearly understood the behavior expectations, knew there were Biblical reasons for the expected behavior, and could reconcile quickly when corrected or redirected. He was also hearing about the things he was doing well every single day – and this helped restore and build his confidence in who God created him to be. This system was a game changer for my son in school!
My daughter has always been a good student and very well-behaved, even mature beyond her years. As she enters her teen years, simply saying “no, because I said so” is no longer enough motivation for her. She is constantly looking for answers to the “Why?” questions. The Honorable Charactersystem gave her the answers she was looking for, directly from the irrefutable Word of God. She began looking for ways to demonstrate kindness, obedience and diligence, not for her own recognition but because she now understood how she could honor God by her actions. When someone did point out how she was demonstrating Honorable Character, it boosted her self-esteem and confidence, which is vital during the teen years.
The Honorable Character system also influenced the way I corrected and applied discipline in my home. We had always talked about consequences for your choices, grace and mercy as a way of understanding how God loves us. But when introduced to the Honorable Character system, I had specific verses and tools that I could use to correct a behavior and give immediate feedback to my kids that was Biblically sound and directly relevant to changing behavior. More importantly, it helped me identify specific ways to praise my children when I caught them behaving in a way that was honoring God, versus just telling them “good job” or “I’m proud of you.” Both are great for kids to hear from parents, but I saw that they responded even better when I could be specific about the behavior I appreciated or recognized.
When lovingly applied with the goal of helping children reach their full potential in Christ, the Honorable Charactersystem can turn around the behavior of a student who may be struggling, enhance the understanding for “good” students, and influence our homes to be a model of the way Christ loves us.
