In deciding on an Independence Day post, I took a patriotic presidential point of view. Let’s focus on Honest Abe and how he can be an excellent role model for our kids.
Not Giving Up or Quitting
There are many circulating comparisons of Abraham Lincoln’s failures and success. Although not always agreed upon, it appears true that Abraham Lincoln failed and didn’t quit in quite a few circumstances. For example, he didn’t do fantastic as a business man but went on to do pretty well as a lawyer and slowly but surely, quite well in politics (he did become President and was reelected). Also, he didn’t get the nomination for congress the first time but later was nominated and elected.
Paying Debts
One of my personal favorite accounts of his character is that he paid a debt he didn’t legally owe. He had taken a loan to start a business that didn’t really do that well. He had a partner, however, that passed away before the partner’s portion of the loan had been paid off. Despite the fact that legally, the man had passed away and Lincoln wasn’t required to pay that portion of the debt, Ol’ Abe took it upon himself to pay off the entire debt (somebody had to was his reasoning according to records). He looked at the viewpoint of the lender and that a promise was made for repayment. While I am not suggesting teaching to pay debts you don’t legally owe, there must be some lesson missing for most kids when the highest rate of bankruptcy tends to be a few years after they have become adults.
Lessons:
*Discuss that to be of outstanding character, you have to do outstanding things, especially in being honest. Honesty generally pays off in the long run and you also receive freedom from guilt.
*Remind them that when they really want to do something, success doesn’t come right away. We grow and become our best person when we fail a little. Without failure, pride typically takes over the character of even the best person. Pride doesn’t allow us to become the great people we can become through failure.
*Teach your older children a little about paying debts you DO owe. Perhaps show your teens the small print at the bottom of EVERY credit card slip they will sign which states they agree to pay the amount shown, like a little tiny contract. Explain a little about late fees (what you pay when you don’t pay on time or at all). Discuss ways that everyone else still pays for debts that aren’t paid, like the cost of loans may rise for those who do pay to cover those who don’t (or loans are much more difficult to attain).
Happy 4th of July!
Read more about the Abraham Lincoln Failure and successes here:
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/lincoln.asp
http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/education/failures.htm
Not Giving Up or Quitting
There are many circulating comparisons of Abraham Lincoln’s failures and success. Although not always agreed upon, it appears true that Abraham Lincoln failed and didn’t quit in quite a few circumstances. For example, he didn’t do fantastic as a business man but went on to do pretty well as a lawyer and slowly but surely, quite well in politics (he did become President and was reelected). Also, he didn’t get the nomination for congress the first time but later was nominated and elected.
Paying Debts
One of my personal favorite accounts of his character is that he paid a debt he didn’t legally owe. He had taken a loan to start a business that didn’t really do that well. He had a partner, however, that passed away before the partner’s portion of the loan had been paid off. Despite the fact that legally, the man had passed away and Lincoln wasn’t required to pay that portion of the debt, Ol’ Abe took it upon himself to pay off the entire debt (somebody had to was his reasoning according to records). He looked at the viewpoint of the lender and that a promise was made for repayment. While I am not suggesting teaching to pay debts you don’t legally owe, there must be some lesson missing for most kids when the highest rate of bankruptcy tends to be a few years after they have become adults.
Lessons:
*Discuss that to be of outstanding character, you have to do outstanding things, especially in being honest. Honesty generally pays off in the long run and you also receive freedom from guilt.
*Remind them that when they really want to do something, success doesn’t come right away. We grow and become our best person when we fail a little. Without failure, pride typically takes over the character of even the best person. Pride doesn’t allow us to become the great people we can become through failure.
*Teach your older children a little about paying debts you DO owe. Perhaps show your teens the small print at the bottom of EVERY credit card slip they will sign which states they agree to pay the amount shown, like a little tiny contract. Explain a little about late fees (what you pay when you don’t pay on time or at all). Discuss ways that everyone else still pays for debts that aren’t paid, like the cost of loans may rise for those who do pay to cover those who don’t (or loans are much more difficult to attain).
Happy 4th of July!
Read more about the Abraham Lincoln Failure and successes here:
http://www.snopes.com/glurge/lincoln.asp
http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/education/failures.htm