Day of Courage – How do you talk to kids about courage?

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Today, Feb 4th has been dedicated as National Day of Courage in honor of Rosa Park’s 100^th birthday. Ms. Parks had the courage to remain in her seat on the front of a bus which was against the law during the segregation era in the South.

As I read about Day of Courage, I thought about how we teach kids about having courage. When you think about teaching kids about courage, what comes to mind? My first thought was about the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz. He wanted to see the great Wizard to obtain courage. Little did he know that he already possessed the courage he sought.

When my kids were younger it was The Lion King movie that stirred a discussion about courage. Beginning a discussion based on something familiar made things easier for my kids to understand. Has your child faced a situation that required courage?

When my son was in fourth grade, we moved to a new neighborhood and he had to ride the bus for the first time. I still remember part of the conversation we had the day before school started.

“What if I get beat up on the bus?” he said.

“I don’t think you will have that problem, but you can sit near the bus driver.”

“My stomach hurts; I don’t think I can go to school tomorrow.”

“You’re just nervous, let’s see how you feel tomorrow.”

After a pep talk my son made it through that first bus ride at his new school. Sometime kids just need a little encouragement to discover their courage within.

Since today is National Day of Courage, why not start a discussion with your child about courage and see where it takes you?
 

For more information on National Day of Courage visit the website for The Henry Ford. If you haven’t watched The Wizard of Oz in a long time check out the video below to see how the lion receives his courage.

Wishing you a courage filled day. Do something differently than normal.