11 Practical Ways to Teach Kids About Commitment
Last Updated on August 15, 2024 by Alicia Michelle
Character traits like commitment aren’t born in us, but are purposely developed. How can we help our kids develop this very important life skill? How can we share with them both the importance of commitment and the practical steps to developing commitment?
In my own experience, I've found that kids learn character traits through both strong modeling and active participation.
We must show them what commitment looks like, and we must purposely give them opportunities for this rich treasure to develop in their hearts.
I want to give you 11 simple ways to teach kids commitment in this post!
4 Ways to Model Commitment to Kids
1) Maintain a strong marriage.
How do we persevere during the hardest moments of marriage? How do we handle conflict? Marriage can be extremely challenging, but do our kids see us working together to solve issues? Just things to think about.
2) Set big goals and work hard toward them.
Whether it's a goal to lose 20 pounds or to learn a new hobby, our kids learn so much from us as they see us persevere toward our own goals.
Be real with your kids through the struggle to stay committed to your goals! I believe it's just as important for them to see us standing strong as it is for us to admit the challenges of commitment.
3) Show them unconditional grace.
How do we respond when a child falls short? While it’s important to correct (and sometimes that correction includes discipline), I believe it’s equally important to shower a child with unconditional love which demonstrates not only our commitment to him as a parent, but God’s commitment to him.
4) Share inspiring real-world stories of others.
Thankfully, our world is filled with amazing stories of folks who chose to persevere through difficult challenges and stay committed to a goal. My kids and I spoke about this at length as we watched the recent Summer Olympics.
Our family also reads books (and watches movies) like these that share these incredible stories of perseverance and loyalty.
8 Hands-On Ways to Teach Kids About Commitment
Want kids to see first hand what commitment means? Have them set a goal, try something new and start working toward it!
Here are some ideas:
1) Get them involved in daily household chores.
Chores are a great way to tangibly teach kids about the ongoing commitment to keep the family home running. Here’s some ideas on age-appropriate chores and some chore lists.
2) Have them take care of a pet.
Whether it’s caring for farm animals, a family cat or dog, or even a fish, the daily responsibilities of animal ownership certainly teach commitment.
Last year my son raised a pig as a 4-H project and wow, did that grow his character development! There were many times he wanted to quit, but he had to learn the importance of committing to the end since he'd already decided to raise the pig for the fair. He told me at the end that it was hard work, but he's excited to do it again next year.
3) Work together on a big home project.
What great treasures can be learned from tackling a kitchen remodel as a family or maintaining a garden together!
4) Teach them a sport or an instrument.
Daily practices teach both commitment and the joy of accomplishment.
5) Play difficult board games or put puzzles together.
Even learning to play chess or putting together a 500-piece puzzle teaches commitment. There’s great value in finishing something, especially when it’s difficult!
6) Offer regular challenges.
We parents must master the fine art of encouraging kids just beyond what they think they can do. Perhaps that’s asking them to complete a difficult math problem, asking him to read especially challenging literature, or even taking them on a short-term missions trip.
7) Develop a schedule for your child.
Here's how my kids manage their own schedules (and yours can too!). This is a great way to teach how commitment works hand-in-hand with planning and self-management!
8) Encourage patience with siblings and/or those who may be different.
Some of my kids have a hard time getting along because their personalities are so different. And yet, by teaching them to get along and love each other (despite the differences), we're teaching them that commitment is not conditional on behavior.
A verse I find myself quoting a lot around my house is Ephesians 4:2-3: “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Commitment is one of those great character traits that grows little by little, layer by layer as we encourage our kids to step out and try new challenges.
What ideas do you have for teaching commitment to your kids? Let's share them in the comments below!
Thanks so much, Lacie!!
Awesome, Sue! Thank you so much! Yes, agreed–maintaining a strong marriage is the key above all else. It’s not always easy–and no one has a perfect marriage!–but it’s so important for our kids to see us committed to our spouses through thick and thin.
I am so happy you put number ONE as “Maintain a strong marriage!” I think that is key above all else! We have to role model what commitment is, and a strong marriage, is what our children see every day! Lovely post! Blessing, Sue @ mama of three boys. (I found you through Grace and truth link up 🙂
Hey Alicia! Great article. Sports has been a great way for my kiddo to learn commitment. I love all of your tips. Thank you for linking up at Funtastic Friday.
Awesome! Yes, that sounds like a great way to learn about commitment! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for these great ideas! I’m always trying to think of new ways to help my children grow and learn, and there are some ideas I hadn’t thought of. We think we are going to use moving to a new area and a new house as a big family project – they’ll love to get involved and it will definitely help them understand commitment and what it takes to build a home for all of use! #justanotherlinky
Fantastic tips really intersting great post #justanotherlinky
I love your ideas. Unfortunately some of them would not be feasible for my children as we are a blended family already but I do believe it is up to us as the grown ups to ensure our children don’t shy away from commitment.
#justanotherlinky
Great ideas here! So diverse and yet a lot of them are common sense. I particularly like the first one as it engages us as adults bit it’s also sometimes a bit difficult to do it! I also think it’s important to get children involved with housework and taking care of pets. #justanotherlinky
Great encouragement! Love all the points you are giving – I have made it a habit to always kiss my children when I buckle them in and also when I wipe their hands and faces after we eat. It adds an extra touch of love I think – an extra kiss to the day so to speak. Still working on the chores one, though, but my children are a little bit younger. And I know we’ll get there eventually. Great tips, thanks for sharing.
Visiting from a happy and blessed home link up.
Best,
Bibi
Very true! And I’m glad to hear that the ideas were helpful! Blessings to you in your mothering journey, Jennifer! 🙂
Awesome! I’m glad that they’re inspiring and helpful! Have a great day, Abby! 🙂
These are such great tips! I have an almost 5-year-old and an eight-year-old and many of these are things we try to model/ practice with them on a regular basis (which is encouraging!), but you’ve given me some new ideas too. Thanks for sharing.
Learning, practicing, and teaching commitment comes at all ages and stages! My kids are teens and into the 20s and I can see the relevance of these ideas even with them. Thank you for these great reminders!
Hi Jennifer! I can see how AWANA (and orchestra!) would be a great way to learn about commitment. Lots of memorizing and practicing there! What instrument do you play?
I love your suggestions, Alicia. One of the most powerful ways I learned commitment as a young person was by participating in a church ministry. I started helping in the AWANA program when I was in 6th grade, and I joined our church orchestra in 8th grade. Taking on these responsibilities instilled a sense of commitment and faithfulness, and I’m so thankful! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Grace & Truth!
Thank you, Trena! I appreciate the feedback!
Yes, our world is not “committed” to marriage, jobs, etc. Great ideas to instill that character trait into our children. Thanks for sharing with #What to Read Wednesday. Hope to see you again next week!
Annette, yes, love it! I think that’s such an important lesson for kids. Experience is the best teacher, right?! Keep up the great work!
my 10 year old is learning the responsibility of commitment, of following through on what he says he will do. We remind him how important it is to keep your promises, even if its tough.