Being kind, sharing and respecting others are behaviors all parents hope their children practice on the playground.
But at a time when SpongeBob has more street cred than Mom and Dad, instilling good manners and morals in kids can be tough.
“Kids are bombarded by bad behavior on TV, radio and in violent video games, and they model those characters they admire most,” says Kathy Motlagh, a Long Grove mother of two boys. “We need to raise the volume on morality.”
A concern for increases in bullying and violence in schools nationwide was just one of the catalysts for Kathy, a writer and art teacher, and her sister, Sara Motlagh, also a teacher at the Montessori School of North Hoffman in Hoffman Estates, to join their creative forces in developing an easy-to-use secular program “Think Virtues.”
“Bullying is a global problem and the base of it is a moral issue,” Kathy says. “If kids have compassion and practice kindness on a regular basis, they would never bully another child.”
The program entertains and empowers children while teaching them to think about the core concepts of humanity, such as compassion, empathy, kindness and respect in an engaging way that gets kids to ask themselves the age-old moral question of “What would I do?” in various situations.
Within a box of 52 cards representing each week of the year, one good virtue or moral is presented through a series of questions, activities and roleplays that parents and teachers can use at home or in the classroom. The Motlagh sisters believe the system will not only impart traits in kids like kindness, but also instill lifelong coping skills and tools for effective conflict resolution.
“If a child practices virtues like confidence, assertiveness and respect, they will not allow that dialogue to persist, and be able to resist the behaviors of bullies,” Kathy says.
Sara first put Think Virtues to work in her own first-grade classroom five years ago when Kathy’s son, Kameron, was one of her students. Kameron, like many typical 6-year-olds, hoarded his toys and wasn’t keen on sharing them with his younger brother, Kyle, 4. Within six months of the program, Kathy says she noticed dramatic changes to Kameron’s attitude and behavior.
“Before, it was like he couldn’t get enough, always wanting more and more, and wouldn’t share,” Kathy says. “Now he is a lot more respectful, and even asks me how my day was!”
Kathy and Sara realized the huge impact their Think Virtues could have on other children, and in 2011, they launched the program on their website, where it is sold to the public for $30. A beautifully illustrated 120-page book series Kathy penned called “Eutopia” is also offered as an accompaniment to the program.
Already making an impact, the Think Virtues program was recently incorporated into the curriculum of one suburban private school system with positive results. Free webinars are available on their website, and the Motlagh sisters regularly conduct seminars on the concept for area parent groups, schools and health clubs.
“The concept is so simple, but so incredibly powerful,” Kathy says, “We need to share this with the world.”
