The Content of their Character pt. 7

We all want our children to be good.  Some of us remember those immortal words of Martin L. King, Jr.

But how many of us can easily recite a list of ingredients or traits a good character contains?  The parochial school where I didn't send my children has a special curriculum, complete with books, worksheets, and posters on the wall, stressing thirteen positive character traits.  We allow religious schools more leeway in discussing ethics, morals, and virtue than public schools.  However, as parents,we shouldn't depend on our children's schools to teach them how to be good people.

You might be blessed with wise parents, grandparents, or spiritual leaders who can tell you how to raise the perfect child.  If not, there is enough information out there in libraries and on the web that, if you're lucky, you might teach yourself before your children are grown.  But why reinvent the wheel when you have enough work on your hands as a parent already?  Here are some suggestions, taken from Ben Franklin, thought by some to be the wisest American of all time, and Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the Jewish ethical movement,  מוסר.

CLEANLINESS

This is one virtue that might not make everybody's top ten list.  We are more likely to think of it as a feminine virtue than a masculine one, but well-groomed men, as long as they aren't vain, do make a better impression than messy, dirty ones.   Keeping oneself and one's surroundings clean shows that we have self-respect.  Taking care not to look or smell offensive shows our respect for those around us.
See more here.