Showing Trustworthiness
Showing Trustworthiness
Here at True Balance Karate in Downers Grove, Illinois. We have a social-emotional learning program called True Character. I’m Master H, owner and chief instructor here at the studio. I have two master’s degrees in education, and we’ve developed this curriculum to meet the needs of our youngest students who are three or four, and our oldest student who is 85.
Recap
This month we’re talking about honesty, showing that we’re truthful, we’re trustworthy, and we’re fair. We started off by defining honesty and what it isn’t, such as lying, cheating, and stealing. Understanding these helps to define what honesty looks like.
Last week, we talked about being truthful and gave you tools to help kids choose honesty instead of lying out of shame or guilt. Tools like pressing rewind, pressing pause, or saying, “Let me try that again,” provide an opportunity for a do-over.
Being Trustworthy
This week we’re talking about trustworthiness, which is slightly different. I see being truthful as what you say, and trustworthiness as your actions. Are you keeping your promises? Are you following through with what you say you’ll do? Are your actions aligning with your words?
Being trustworthy means always playing by the rules, following directions, and being someone others can count on. It’s demonstrating honesty through your actions.
Teaching Honesty
Teaching trustworthiness to young kids means modeling the behavior you want to see. If you ask them to put their phones down, you should do the same, showing that your words match your actions. It’s also about keeping promises and meeting deadlines, whether it’s attending a friend’s birthday party or fulfilling a work commitment.
We also need to teach when it’s okay to break someone’s trust. For instance, if a friend is in danger or engaging in unsafe behavior, it’s important to speak up and seek help. Balancing honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness with understanding when to break trust for safety is crucial.
Explicitly teaching these concepts helps kids understand and practice them. We joke about fire-breathing dragons to illustrate when it’s okay to seek help. If something doesn’t feel right, they need to know it’s okay to break trust and find an adult.
Sharing these ideas and knowing that honesty comes from both words and actions is vital for demonstrating honesty daily.
Thanks, and I’ll see you on the mat!
True Balance Karate was founded in 2012 by Master Sue and Paul Helsdon.
We offer kids karate lessons for pre-school children ages 3-6 and elementary age kids ages 7 and up. These lessons are designed to develop the critical building blocks kids need — specialized for their age group — for school excellence and later success in life.
Our adult martial arts training is a complete adult fitness and conditioning program for adults who want to lose weight, get (and stay) in shape, or learn self-defense in a supportive environment.
Instructors can answer questions or be contacted 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week at 630-663-2000. You can also contact us here. True Balance Karate is at 406 Ogden Ave Downers Grove Illinois, 60515 (next to CVS) Check out our Facebook!
