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Made for Excellence
"Train the young in the way they should go;
even when old, they will not swerve from it."
Proverbs 22:6Children are born with potential to achieve excellence, not just in terms of worldly success but in terms of a life well lived - a life of kindness, purpose, joy, and great love.
Parents are given the divine task of cultivating this potential in their children. It's no small feat, but our faith gives us the tools we need to raise children who live well.
Made for Excellence: Helping Our Children Live Well
A presentation by the Archdiocese of Seattle Office of Marriage and Family Life
Made for Excellence teaches parents to help their children live good lives by instilling in them the virtues of wisdom, courage, justice and self-control. By living out these virtues, parents can empower their children to discover their identity through the lens of faith, creating a strong foundation for a life of excellence.
To inquire about future presentations, please click here to send us an email.
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The Four Cardinal Virtues
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Wisdom (Prudence)
Wisdom (or prudence) is the virtue of seeing things as they are, knowing in what is truly good for us, and using our will to choose it. The wise person knows that her relationship with God comes first and she has the willpower to put God first, going to Mass regularly and praying each day.
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Justice
Justice is the virtue of doing the right thing and consistently giving the other person what they are due. The just person makes good judgments about how to treat family, friends and neighbors. If she goes to a party with her friend, she watches out for her friend and makes her comfortable. Her life is not just about ‘Follow your bliss.’ It’s also about ‘Do your duty.’
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Fortitude (Courage)
Fortitude (or Courage) is the virtue of enduring difficulty for the good. More than physical courage or endurance, fortitude is willingness to experience suffering for a good purpose. St. Catherine of Siena demonstrated fortitude in telling Pope Urban to return to Rome just as much as when she endured physical danger caring for plague victims.
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Self-control (Temperance)
Self-control (or Temperance) is the virtue of setting aside our desires for things we want in favor of a greater good. It’s keeping a fast on Good Friday and the child in the famous Marshmallow test waiting to eat his marshmallow in order to receive two later.
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The Virtuous Cycle
Parents can help our children learn the virtues by watching the Marshmallow test video with our child and teaching them something called the virtuous cycle:
The child’s intellect understands that, if they wait to eat their marshmallow for 10 minutes they will get another marshmallow.
The child’s will enables them to override the temptation created by sight and smell of the marshmallow.
After successfully waiting and receiving the second marshmallow, the child associates a positive memory with the experience.
Then, after this experience, the child’s imagination considers the possibility of other good things that can be achieved by waiting.
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The Marshmallow Test
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Consider the additional ways to set our children up for this virtuous cycle:
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Describe the virtues to your child and share with them your own efforts to develop them in yourself.
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Congratulate your child when they demonstrate a virtue.
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Expose your child to challenging disciplines like music, art and athletics where they can experience the reward of growth through discipline.
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Participate in the sacraments and faith formation opportunities in your parish to give your child the wisdom to prioritize their relationship with God.
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