CHARACTER BUILDING BLOCKS & LIFE SKILLS

Christian Family life

Mrs R Cecilia Akew
copyright@2014








Character Building Blocks & Life Skills is intended for instruction in Christian Family Life and has
been developed for students in Primary - Grades 1 through 6. It is one of the pillars of the
Religious Education Division of Creative Vision Christian Academy. It has been complied and
prepared by Mrs. Cecilia Askew, former teacher and principal and, now current School
Guidance Counsellor and Chaplain.




Contents



Unit 1 - Types of Family

Unit 2 - Exploring Family Heritage

Unit 3 - Family Relationships

Unit 4 - Dealing with Bullying
Unit 5 - Making Friends
Unit 6 - Building Character
Bibliography
















UNIT 1 - TYPES OF FAMILY



There is much diversity in Caribbean families and they are in some ways considered, a distinct
group because of the different races and nationalities coming together. While most of the
families have an African background that sometimes causes people from the Caribbean to be
identified as such, there are other families from Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and European
backgrounds who also identify themselves as Caribbean. In The Bahamas this includes our
Greek, East Indian, Chinese and other Asian communities.

We recognise several types of family in the Caribbean including the Commonwealth of The
Bahamas:

1. Nuclear/Ideal
2. Extended
3. Blended
4. Single Parents: Male
Female
5. Grandparents
6. Singles [no children]


Definitions


Nuclear/Ideal Family

Simply put a nuclear family is a family group consisting of a father and mother and their
children, who share living quarters.

Extended Family
According to Wikipedia, the term extended family has several distinct meanings. First, it is
used synonymously with consanguineous family or joint family. Second, in societies dominated
by the conjugal family or nuclear family, it is used to refer, to kindred who do not belong to the
conjugal family. Often there could be many generations living under the same roof, depending
on the circumstances.
In The Bahamas and Caribbean the nuclear family was often supported by the extended family
where, grandparents, aunts and uncles all resided in the same home and or the same yard
[vicinity]. Although this scenario has changed, it still exists in small pockets from island to
island.
Blended Family
The blended family is generally regarded as follows: two previously married parents or persons
from previous long-term relationships that bring together the children of their former
marriages/relationships.
Single Parents
Single-parents [also referred to as lone parent, solo parent and sole parent] are parents, male
or female, who care for one or more children without the physical assistance of the other
biological parent in the home. "Single Parenthood" comes about for a number of reasons. A few
possible scenarios are by choice or involuntary, as in:



Assignment

1] Describe your type of family.



2] Name some of the different nationalities in The Bahamas













UNIT 2 EXPLORING FAMILY HERITAGE

In this unit you will learn about your family heritage. We will start by looking at your name and
where it came from.

WHATS IN A NAME?
Do you know how you got your name?

Ask your Mother or Father why they gave you your name.

What does your name mean?

Is there a story behind how your name was chosen?

Does anyone else in your whole family [from the past or present] have your name?

Are there any other interesting names in your family?

If you get married and have children, what are some of the names you will choose and give a
reason why?







UNIT 3 FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS


If you have brothers and sisters [your siblings] this means that you will have someone who
belongs to you, who will share the same memories as you, and who will help and support you.
Sometimes, however it may not seem that way at all. You may seem to be always
fighting and arguing and, you may really be fed up living with them. Sometimes it
may appear to you as if your parents love your brother or sister more than you. Be
assured this is not the case. There are three main skills you need to learn in order
to have a good relationship with your parents, your siblings and other family
members.
The skills you need to know are Communication, Respect and Negotiation.

Communication
This means that you talk to each other and that you also you listen to each other.
Here are some ways that you will have good communication in your family:
Always remember that if one person is talking, the others are listening.
Allow everyone a turn to talk.
Have family meetings to talk about things that affect you and other members of the family.
Nobody should shout [that includes parents.
If you want to borrow something, watch a program on TV, record something or have a friend
over ALWAYS ASK FIRST.
If there is a common area for playing or using the computer work out a roster so that everyone
has his or her time.
If you feel upset about something, speak to the person who upset you and try to sort it out in a
friendly manner.

Respect
People who treat each other with respect will always get along with others and they are not
rude, loud and selfish.



Here are some pointers that will help you learn to give and get respect:
Always, always, be mannerly.
Never make anyone feel put-down.
Always encourage each other [be positive with each other].
Be helpful.
Remember that everyone needs space at times and you should respect each other's need to be
alone.
Don't try and take over the other peoples friends. Never intrude in conversations or attempt to
go along with the group unless you have been invited. Respect everyones right to have their
own friends, and they'll respect yours.
Don't take or use something without permission from the owner.
You may not always want to share your stuff, and you have the right to say no or, you might
work out a trade, e.g. "you can play with my video game if I can borrow your IPod." Both of you
decide how long the trade lasts and remember to return whatever you have borrowed, in the
same condition in which you borrowed it.
Don't tell 'secrets' about your brother or sister [unless it's to keep him or her from danger]. .
DO NOT BULLY anyone, bullying is unacceptable.

Negotiation [working things out]

Whether you are the oldest, youngest or the middle child you will all have the same rights as the
others in the family. Here are a few things to remember in order to be good at negotiation:
Always be fair. Don't try to 'get one over' on a younger sibling [one day they will grow up and
remember]
Use the good communication skills you have learned.
Never forget that you are trying to find a solution that has something good for everyone.


What to do
Trusting each other is a big part of negotiation. Maybe using this word will help you understand
the process better.
Talk quietly.
Respect each other's rights to their opinions.
Understand each other's needs.
Say what you want to get out of the process.
Try to find out what you agree on.
Idea-sharing gives you lots of ways to solve the problem.
No put-downs allowed.
Good solutions are when everyone gets something of what they want.


Assignment
1] Name at least five pointers of Respect.
2] What is the biggest part of negotiation?
3] Name three ways to have better communication.
4] Write an essay of 150 words or more about your understanding of Respect.














UNIT 4 DEALING WITH BULLYING


Believe it or not a lot of children are being bullied [more than you would think] and it can be very
scary. It makes some kids feel miserable, insecure and lowers their self-esteem. As a result
they often don't even want to go to school. So something has to be done about it!
People who are bullies when they are little kids may grow up to be worse bullies when they are
big kids. They need to learn that bullying is NOT OK before they grow up into the type of awful
adults who make others unhappy and afraid. Bullying may also be called harassment.


How to get help if someone is bullying you?
1] Find someone you can trust and tell them what is happening to you and who is doing it.
2] If you are being harassed at school, tell a teacher or school guidance counsellor. Ask what
can be done about it. Your school should have a policy on harassment/bullying and there will be
steps that will be taken to ensure that it does not continue. It is not your fault that you are being
harassed/bullied and you have the right to feel safe.
3] Remember it is not your fault that you are being harassed/bullied and you have the right to
feel safe. Bullies need to be caught and stopped so that they do not make you or the lives of
others miserable.
4] Tell your parents, teachers or caregivers, who will talk to the school for you if you are scared
about what the bully might do.
5] Tell your friends what is happening to you and ask for their support.
6] If you are being harassed on the way to school, try going a different way or walking with a
group of others. If you are being chased, run up to any door and knock loudly. Bullies are afraid
of being caught and would probably run away if they thought they were going to be caught.
7] Beating people up a criminal offence punishable by the law. Let the bully know that your
parents know and can report it to school and to the Police.

Assignment: Create a role play about bullying including how to cope with it and avoid conflict.
UNIT 5 MAKING FRIENDS


Everybody needs friends. Here are some ideas to help you to make friends. Having friends is
also about how to be a friend and equally as important how to be your own best friend. For
instance did you know that you can be a friend to yourself? This may sound weird, but when
you think about it, who are you with all of the time, yourself.
You need to take some time to really get to know yourself and you can start by asking yourself a
few questions:

[1] Am I a friendly person?
[2] Am I a positive person who looks forward to each day?
[3] Am I a good listener?
[4] What am I good at?
[5] What do I like to do in my spare time?
[6] What do I like about my looks?
[7] Do I like myself?

This is what friendship is. Spending time together; sharing ideas and treats; having fun;
respecting each; loyalty and sticking by one another; caring for each others safety and both
parties working together to keep the friendship growing and going.

Assignment
1] Describe your best friend.
2] Word Association - Draw a ladder showing the words and symbols that you associate with
being a good friend.






UNIT 6 BUILDING CHARACTER


What is character? Character as it relates to human beings is defined as the mental and moral
qualities distinctive to an individual. Good character is based on several things: trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Following are the meanings of each
aspect of good character.
1] Trustworthiness: Able to be relied on as honest and/or truthful.
2] Respect: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities,
qualities, or achievements.
3] Responsibility: The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control
over someone.
4] Fairness: Treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination.
5] Caring: Displaying kindness and concern for others.
6] Citizenship: The position or status of being a citizen of a particular country.
Looking at the meaning of each word, can you say that you have good character?
Assignment
1a.] Describe an important relationship in your life right now and the role that trust plays in that
relationship.
1b.] How did you earn each other's trust?
2a.] Describe 3 things you can do to be more respectful to others.
2b.] How does respect affect your relationships with your friends, parents and others?
3.] Imagine that you wake up one morning and decide to reinvent yourself, what changes would
you make and how would you do it?
4.] In your own words explain what you think it means to be fair.
5.] Can you choose to be a caring person or do you have to be born like that?
6.] Create a role play about becoming a citizen.



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kids Health
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=282&id=1791

Good Character
http://www.goodcharacter.com/

Building Blocks for Spiritual Growth
http://www.scribd.com/doc/59443834/Building-Blocks-for-Spiritual-Growth-and-Christian-Living

BibleGateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/topical/Family/

GotQuestions
http://www.gotquestions.org/welcome.html