In today’s society, people are overconfident in their opinions and they only measure truth as an extension of themselves. The attitude that comes from this behavior is arrogance. Arrogance is rampant in society and something we need much less of. We should be striving for humility, which is an attitude where proper perspective is achieved.
Modeling
Our children and peers learn much more from our actions than by what we say. Modeling humility is an important characteristic that must be displayed regularly for the lesson to be learned effectively. On-again and off-again behavior is not the best way to teach.
Build-Up
Make sure to build up your children and teach them self-assurance. Once they are strong and believing in themselves, they can grow and become resilient. Let your children know that you are proud of them and praise them when they do well.
Achieve
Encourage your children to achieve and to strive for the best. Give praise when it is warranted and don’t allow false praise that is not earned. Understanding that you must work hard to gain praise is the way to create a strong child that is humble. If praise is given for everything, it dilutes the importance of the act of praise.
Real Value
Make sure that your children know the real value of success. Don’t let them believe that their looks or abilities are they only thing that give them worth. Let them know that their true value comes from within and has to do with their character.
Bullying
Never allow yourself or others to humiliate your child to prove a lesson in humility. Humility cannot be imposed. Educate them on their behavior and response to life events.
Expose
Take the time to expose your child to great stories of great people. Teach them about Jesus, Mother Teresa, and other influential people that have sacrificed themselves for the greater good. Teach them that humility is part of the bigger picture in life.
Serve
Teach your children to give back to the community. Have them help the homeless, help the poor, help the elderly, and serve their family. Teach them that giving back is part of humanity and something that builds character and happiness in your soul.
Coach
When your child excels at a sport or at school, you want to praise them for their effort. However, you need to coach them on how to respond to others. If they won at the science fair, teach them to say thank you, but to also point out someone else who did well on their science project. Recognizing others and their efforts is always a great way to show humility and not arrogance.
Apologize
Make sure they learn the art of apologizing. There will always be a teachable moment where you need to ensure they apologize for their behavior. The apology needs to be sincere and they need to understand why they are apologizing in the first place. If they are wrong, they need to admit that and understand consequences.
