Children Learn What They Live 

"What is the difference between commitment and loyalty? " 

While they have many similar and overlapping aspects, commitment is especially concerned with doing what one says he will do-- being reliable. Loyalty includes being dependable but also implies support, service and contribution to the person or thing to which loyalty is given.

Cautions on both: Ask what one has to be careful about in striving to live by these two principles.commitment: Be careful not to make commitments you can't keep...or to make more (too many) commitments than you can keep. Part of this is to carefully choose commitments. Loyalty: First, be careful and cautious about giving loyalty. Don't give loyalty to too many things. Save deepest loyalty for deepest loves. Second, never confuse loyalty with not-ratting on someone."

• Share examples to which people are committed (the nation, vows of marriage, their work, family, volunteer work).
• What are the signs of their commitment?
• Are there levels of commitment?
• Is there a danger in being partly or halfway committed to something?
• What are some of the duties you have accepted for yourself?
• What duties have been imposed upon you?
• Is is possible to like or enjoy a duty or obligation? How?
• How would you describe someone who works hard? Would you describe them as focused...as working long hours...as someone who concentrates?
• Is lazy the opposite of hard-working?
• Is there anything in between?
• Where does leisure time come in?
• Are you described as determined, dedicated, or devoted?

Loyalty to family, to employers, to country, church, schools, and other organizations and institutions to which commitments are made. Support, service, contribution. Reliability and consistency in doing what you say you will do.

Our two adolescent daughters learned and then put into practice a simple lesson on loyalty one week. They had planned a surprise farewell party in our home for one of their friends who was moving out of the area with her family. On the day of the party three of the girls who had accepted invitations called and, with very flimsy excuses, said they wouldn't be able to come. Our girls, who had decorated and planned for the party for some time, were first disappointed, then a little angry. "They just had something better come up," one daughter complained. "Now we won't have enough people to play some of the games." "It's inconsiderate," said the other daughter. "In fact it's rude and it's disloyal and undependable."

Later that week they got invited to a party--one that they very much wanted to attend. But the party was on the night of the regular meeting and rehearsal of an organization they belonged to, which was preparing for a production. There was no question about where they would have rather gone--but there also was no question about the loyal and dependable thing to do. - Linda

BUDDHISM

Commitment, or joyful effort, overcomes all obstacles, especially laziness and procrastination. The Buddha described four kinds of effort. First is to prevent unwholesome states of mind from arising. Second is to eliminate unwholesome thoughts when they arise. Third is to generate wholesome states of mind. Fourth is to further develop wholesome thoughts when they arise. We can practice this as we pay attention to our breathing.

CHRISTIANITY

"For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him." - Bible, Matthew 2:26

"For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God." - Bible, Ruth 1:16

"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." - Bible, Romans 12:1

People can be divided into three groups: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Showing up is 80 percent of life. - Woody Allen

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. - Goethe

 

Once again this year we will be writing a song of the month to go along with our value of the month. We will be starting with the fifth grade and working our way down to the first grade.

JANUARY - COMMITMENT

The song of the month for January was written by the third graders in Room 18. It is sung to the melody of YANKEE DOODLE.

If you say you'll do something

Make sure that you will do it.

Work your hardest, do your best,

That is called commitment.

Try and do all you can,

Do what you have promised.

Make an effort every day

And you will go a long way.

 

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