A few years ago, I created a series of “Character Conversations” around the four Cardinal virtues. When my kids were 12, I would take them for breakfast once per month and go through these outlines to form them in character and have them think about the virtues more.
Each “Conversation” includes a simple definition of the virtue for a 12 year old, a more extended explanation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a section on Habits related to the virtue with a mnemonic to help remember them, two simple applications to do over the month, and a Bible verse to look up to illustrate the virtue. As we ate, I would fill out each section further by giving examples, asking them for examples, taking turns reading, and making it conversational. Usually we met once a month for about an hour over a meal. After the first meeting, we would open the subsequent meetings by quizzing on the previous month’s virtue.
I found these sheets helped put the virtues in a relatable manner for my 12 year olds and got them engaged in growing in virtue. Perhaps you might find elements inspiring or useful.
Download or view “Character Conversations”
