The person you are in private should match the person you are in public. That’s integrity. There are many things we as dads can do to pass this on to our kids.
How do we raise kids who possess integrity in a culture that seems to value image more than character? Like many things, integrity is more often caught than taught.
Here's a good little article on integrity and how it is passed on to our kids. I especially like the "You Might Be an Integrity Infector If" list:
You Might Be An Integrity Infector If:
- Your kids talk to you so much that you get worn out at times.
- Your kids like being with you.
- You like being with your kids.
- You and your kids joke around and laugh together a lot.
- You and your kids handle your mistakes humorously. Your kids kid you about them.
- You can talk somewhat intelligently about what’s going on in their world.
- You ask questions about what’s going on in their world.
- They ask you “why” questions. You welcome and applaud questions of any sort.
- You can handle their “why” questions without being overly threatened by them.
- They display remorse when caught in misbehavior.
- On occasion, they admit to misbehaviors even before you discover them.
- You use incidences of misbehavior to explain why correct behavior is important.
- Your kids don’t lie well. You’re able to tell when they are being dishonest.
- They’ve seen you be honest on occasions when you could have gotten away with dishonesty.
- Your kids seem to understand why you have the rules you do. They ask questions about them more than they complain about them.
1 comment:
I hadn't thought of that, and think you're right - that private/public behavior lining up is one form of integrity.
I'm thinking there's more than one form or level - and this would be a basic one. Because when the private and public don't line up, what you get is hypocrisy.
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