TOS Crew Review: We Choose Virtues

I love watching 19 Kids and Counting.  I’m especially impressed with the way I see Michelle Duggar “train” the little ones to behave and cooperate with others.

My kids are just like other kids–they whine; they fight; they bicker.  However, our preschool homeschool program has a section each week for a Bible verse the kids are supposed to memorize.  I noticed that PB & J Girl, especially, was receptive to these lessons and tries to change her behavior based on the verse.

When the opportunity came to review We Choose Virtues, I was ready to try it, hoping I could gently mold all three kids’ behavior so they would be more charitable, kind, and giving to one another.

For the review, we received Parenting Cards ($38.49) and the WCV Download Bundle ($7.99).

What Are the Parenting Cards?

The parenting cards include 12 cards.  Each virtue has its own card.  The virtues are:

• Patient
• Self-Controlled
• Honest
• Forgiving
• Kind
• Perseverant
• Obedient
• Content
• Attentive
• Diligent
• Helpful
• Gentle

Each card has an introduction on the front, in addition to a corresponding Bible verse.  (The cards come with either KJV or NIrV verses.  You decide when you purchase the cards.)

On the back side of the card, there are several different sections:

Virtue User Challenge  This is a challenge for the whole family.  For instance, on the Gentle card, the entire family is challenged to go the whole day without someone saying “You hurt me” or “You’re too loud.”

Details about the Virtue  This is just a sentence or two that explains more about the virtue or why it’s important.

What to Say After “I’m Sorry”  This gives instructions for how to ask for forgiveness after you’ve not followed the virtue and hurt someone in some way.

Teachable Moments for Families  This section is the meat of the backside of the card and explains the virtue more fully and also gives activities the kids can do to learn more about the virtue.

The Kids of VirtueVille  This is a story about a kid in VirtueVille who exemplifies the virtue.  For instance, on the Patience card, Piggybank Frank saves his money for a bike, even though his friends always buy candy and play video games.  Piggybank Frank has patience to save his money rather than squandering it.

What Is the WCV Download Bundle?

The WCV Download Bundle includes the following:

• Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book (PDF Download)
• Family Character Assessment (PDF Download)
• Teacher’s Handbook (PDF Download)
• Butterfly Awards for Kids (PDF Download)

We used the Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book and the Teacher’s Handbook.  PB & J Girl loved coloring the pages that corresponded to the virtue we were studying that week.

Before I started the program, I read through the Teacher’s Handbook.  While this is primarily written for teachers using the cards in the classroom, there was valuable material for parents using the cards with their children at home.

Our Experience Using the Parenting Cards

The cards are for kids ages 3-11, so my kids fit right in the perfect age range.

We Choose Virtues recommends that you cover one card per week, but we didn’t always do that.  Some virtues like “I am Honest” the kids had a good grasp of, so we only spent two days on that virtue.  Other virtues like “Self-Control” required the full week.  (Of course, we’ll continue to go through a card a week, so each virtue will be examined several times a year.)

I loved the cards because they gave me a concrete way to praise my kids.  For instance, the week we were using the virtue card “Self-Control”, we went to the library.  I let my kids run ahead on the sidewalk, but I have them stop before they get to the alley.  Sometimes Cuddle Bug (4) is having such a good time running, she doesn’t stop and Bookworm has to grab her before she gets to the alley.

This time, she stopped every time, and I was able to praise her specifically by telling her she did an excellent job showing self-control as we were studying that week.

Bookworm, who is almost 10, enjoyed the cards and said they helped him learn good character traits.  His favorite part of each card was the Kids of VirtueVille section because it connected the virtue with a real story.  That section showed him how the virtue might be exhibited in his own life.

As I mentioned before, PB & J Girl loved the coloring pages.  If I ever forgot to go over the virtue cards, she would bring them to me and ask that we go over the card.

These cards are a great way to help me train my kids to have better behavior.  Even better, they made me and my husband more aware of our own behavior.  Learning virtues and exhibiting virtuous behavior is for the whole family, not just the kids.

If you’d like to purchase anything in the We Choose Virtues store, use the code BTS20 to get 20% off your order.  (This promo code is good June through August.)