Character Counts Twice: Teaching Kids to Do Hard Things

How do we raise children who can do hard things, persevere when life gets difficult, and respond with biblical character when they fail?

In this episode of The Heritage Household Podcast, Marissa Rice shares a phrase her family has been using at home: character counts twice. Character matters while we are working toward something difficult, but it matters all over again when we fail, face disappointment, or don't receive the outcome we wanted.

As Christian parents, our goal isn't simply to raise children who are successful at childhood. We are preparing future adults, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, church members, homemakers, workers, and faithful followers of Christ. That means our children need opportunities to develop perseverance, diligence, humility, self-control, steadfastness, faithfulness, and courage before they leave our homes.

Marissa shares how homeschooling provides daily opportunities for character development and why her family intentionally studies a biblical character quality each week. By teaching children words such as perseverance, diligence, steadfastness, contentment, humility, and self-control, we give them a biblical vocabulary they can recognize when they encounter these truths in Scripture.

You'll also hear encouragement for resisting the urge to rescue children from every difficulty, allowing natural consequences to become opportunities for discipleship, teaching children to say "I can't do this yet," and helping them understand that hard does not necessarily mean bad.

Because sometimes our children learn more through trying, struggling, failing, repenting, and trying again than they ever could from simply being handed success.

In this episode:• Why character can matter even more than success• Teaching children that they can do hard things• Developing perseverance and grit without promoting self-reliance• Using biblical character vocabulary in everyday parenting• How homeschooling can become a classroom for character• Allowing children to experience appropriate struggle and natural consequences• Teaching children how to respond to failure and disappointment• Modeling repentance, perseverance, and humility as mothers• Preparing children for faithful adulthood instead of merely successful childhoods• Building an intentional Christian family culture

Resources mentioned in this episode:

More Than VirtueA short study of Proverbs 31 that looks beyond a checklist of what a virtuous woman does and explores the heart, wisdom, di