Virtue 2 - Caring

"Pay homage to God... and be good to your parents and relatives, the orphans and the needy and the neighbours who are your relatives, and the neighbours who are strangers, and the friend by your side" - Al-Qur'an, 4:36

What lessons we have learned this week!

This virtue is a great one for children, in so many ways. It has helped us with sibling bickering and teasing. It has helped us with our chores. It has helped us to remember our manners, and it has helped us to look after our belongings. So much, and from only one little word!

We began by talking about what caring is. We decided together that caring is about looking after ourselves, other people and our possessions. That caring is a sign of respect and love, and that we care for our belongings and other people to let them know that they are valued.

The lessons learned so far -

1. Treating our siblings with care, and speaking nicely to each other, means that there are no fights. It also means that we learn to share our toys more! This lesson is ongoing.... ;)

2. Caring for our home means that we all need to do our chores to keep it clean and tidy. Taking the rubbish out, scraping down the dinner plates, wiping the bathroom bench, keeping our rooms tidy, throwing rubbish in the bin (and not on the floor!!) are all ways that we can care for our home. This lesson has worked in well this week, as we have started our pocket money scheme! So far, so good!

3. Using our manners shows that we care how we speak to each other. It is respectful, and is always the best way to make a point, or to ask for something you need.

4. Since school started we have been on a spate of lost hats and drink bottles. All have been found, thankfully, but this morning we have misplaced our school hats again! A perfect time for me to remind them about caring for our possessions. Particularly as losing them again means that they will go without, and therefore have no outside play time at school! We also learned that it is important to place items that we care for in secure positions in our bedroom, out of the reach of baby sisters! Lesson well learned...

5. Lastly, we spoke briefly about caring for ourselves through the food we eat. Everyday food... sometimes food... special treat food - and why our body needs everyday food to be the most important. I re-iterated the need to care for our bodies this morning, when I applied sunscreen to the boys before school.

This virtue has been relatively easy to pass on, as it is something that I have tried to instil in them from a very early age. Having the word written on red cardboard on the fridge has been a great help in getting them to return to the virtue when the need has arisen. For the most part, I think they've gotten the hang of this one!

Next week - Virtue 3 Cleanliness