Children and the Question of Character

From Ilchi Lee’s book Power Brain Kids

One of the most common questions adults ask kids is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer is often something like, “a fireman” or “a doctor.” Kids seem to instinctively know that we are asking about future career choice, reflecting our notion that the quality of “being” is inextricably linked to how you earn a living. Perhaps the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” should also be asked in a deeper and more meaningful sense. Maybe we should also ask, “What sort of character would you like to have? How do you want to feel about yourself? How do you want to treat other people?” These may seem like overly deep, almost burdensome questions to ask a child, but in fact children are making these decisions, whether we ask them directly or not. The child’s character and emotional habits are being formed in every encounter and experience. It is on the playground that we decide to live by the fists or by conscience. It is through play that we learn how to keep friends and make enemies.