A commitment is like a path that leads us in the direction of a goal. It keeps us focused on what we will gain the end. Commitments build confidence as we discover our strengths and improve our weaknesses. As their teachers, we want to see our students lead a life full of purpose surrounded by meaningful relationships. We rely on parents to lead the way in this task, and we embrace our role as partners in forming young people who make and keep commitments in their chosen vocations.

Parents can teach commitment at home by assigning household chores and holding their child accountable for doing it well. If their child wants to play a sport or take music lessons, they need to ask what they will have to give up if they join. If the child wants a pet, will they still walk their dog when it’s pouring rain or snowing?

At school, we can help parents by teaching good time management skills. Assign children responsibilities at school, such as keeping the classroom tidy, turning in assignments on time, leading prayer and reporting on the saint of the day. When students must work through a longer task to completion, hold them accountable for results. Young people should be more involved in choosing what they want to commit to and be required to think about the cost to them in time and money. Keeping childhood commitments builds character.

Demonstrate Setting Priorities. You will need a bag of small beans, a bag of walnuts, and a tall clear container. Ask students to list activities they love doing. The beans represent those activities. Next, ask them to list things they promised to do, although those may not be their favorites, e.g., walking the dog, cleaning their room, doing homework. Those are the walnuts. In the clear container, show how they will need prioritize keeping their commitments (add walnuts) before they fill their days with “beans.”

Practice Keeping Commitments. Teach children to make a plan and put it into practice. Involve children in making a plan for a project. Some ideas for projects:

• May Crowning for Our Blessed Mother in the classroom or for the school or parish
• Collecting canned goods to replenish the area food bank
• Organizing an end-of-school-year field day. Partner with other classes.
• Dramatizing a Bible story, such as the day of Pentecost from Acts 2, for parents and grandparents

Brainstorm the small steps they will need to do to make the project a success. Make a list of tasks involved, and allow students to choose a role to play. Remind them that each person is needed for the project to succeed. Include periodic check-ins with the students on their progress on the project. After the project is completed, have students evaluate their participation.

Virtues for Commitment. Keeping commitments helps us grow in the Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance. Check the glossary in your Blest Are We Faith in Action and Be My Disciples for definitions and lessons on these virtues.

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The Family Life program reinforces the Catholic virtues and values that your students attain with their education. Family Life is essential to your school-based religious education program and meets Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards and benchmarks.

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