Characteristics of a good child vary from one culture to another. Some cultures value silence as one of the characteristics of a good person. Others feel that it is important to allow a child to express themselves as freely and as often as possible.
The characteristics of a good child are qualities that allow a child to be happy with themselves and that can be liked by others. When following the characteristics of responsible parenting, these are the characteristics in a good child that are most important to foster.
Self-Worth and Self-Esteem
If your child is unable to value themselves as a person, nothing else is going to matter. A child’s self-worth is a large part of their basis for existing.
A close second is self-esteem. While self-worth is the intrinsic value of the child, self-esteem is the child’s own value of themselves and their abilities. Both are essential because they will affect the development of a can-do attitude.
It will play a big part in their ability to show and receive love. They affect a child’s willingness to make mistakes and learn from them.
In the early years, a child’s understanding of their self-esteem and their self-worth is constructed entirely by parents. As they grow, that job is shared with parents by peers and other adults.
A great way to foster a child’s self-esteem is by being an effective parent and providing a consistent environment with consequences for the child.
One of my favorite resources to become a more effective disciplinarian and raise responsible kids with high self-esteem is the Parenting 101 Manual.
Willingness to Learn
Life will be a daily struggle for a child who is not willing to learn. They shut down and their social skills will develop slowly, if it all, and you’ll begin to notice problems in school.
Resistance and struggle are the basis for learning and developing, and a child that is unwilling to learn will turn and run from everything that stands in their way, like a river following the path of least resistance.
Children who are willing to learn will see obstacles as problems to be solved, not permanent roadblocks. They will be motivated to seek out answers to their problems.
If your children are struggling with paying attention or focusing in school, check out these resources.
Loving and Being Lovable
Some studies have shown that small babies will die without love, so it is undeniably a basic human need, as much as air, food, and water.
A child who can give and receive love will be more likely to look at the outside world with hope and optimism and will look for ways to give to society.
A society of takers is a breeding ground for all kinds of problems. A society of givers is a vast resource of solutions.
Character
The quality of a child’s character will measure the likelihood of others to place their trust in them. Children prove that they are of good character by accepting responsibilities and following through.
It also gives the child stamina and an appreciation for the value of hard work and perseverance. Closely connected are the quality of a child’s manners and sportsmanship.
Children are never too young to learn responsibility. Get this list of age-appropriate chores to start teaching your kids how to help around the house.
Resilience
Resilience is measured by how children are able to handle their own failures and the frustration that comes from things outside of their control.
Things such as frustration, impulse control, and delayed gratification are all examples of resilience in a child. It’s also a measure of the child’s flexibility, which will help the child deal with other people.
These are all connected to the art of compromise and the ability to “go with the flow” in society.
Suppose you, as the parent, need to get your son and daughter to their soccer games at the same time on Saturday morning and then pick them up at the same time that afternoon. The compromise that you work out is that you will drop off one child early and then pick up the other one a little bit later. A child that has learned to be flexible will see this as being fair and accept having to wait a little bit.
These are the foundational characteristics of a good child. As a parent, it is so important to foster these characteristics as your child grows.