Talking about Virtue

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Patrick J. DiVietri, Ph.D.

"If parenting and family values are so natural why approach this issue in an intellectual manner?" It is because values that benefit a family are no longer commonly exhibited in our culture. Thirty years ago parents did not need to talk about virtues because people practiced them and there was common agreement in our communities as to what they were. Our neighbors, whether they were Catholics, Protestants, Jews or Pagans, corrected and praised children for the same things.

Educating children today is a most difficult task. Society is in a state of confusion about the true goal of education. Today’s decline of moral standards has affected our appreciation of the virtues. For example, honesty today is considered a virtue but too often we might find those who will cheat on tests because they see nothing wrong in it. All of this causes many parents to question their own ability to instill virtue in their children. Most parents experience a variety of emotions as they attempt to carry out their responsibilities.

It is now necessary to clarify our intellectual understanding about virtues and character. This series will confirm some of what parents already know and are doing well, clarify their vocabulary and present some objectives for the present and future educational process.

Find more about the 4 stages in

Formation in Christian Love

Volume 1:

Christian Family Life Education

$24.95

It is a tool to help parents. We will help establish principles, which will unite parents with each other, with their children and with others while forming educational objectives and tasks.

Parents can sometimes think that education involves something other than what they know or that "good parents" act much differently than they themselves are acting. They may end up repeatedly second-guessing themselves.

What are we talking about?
Are we doing the right thing?
What can we delegate to others?
What must we keep within the family?
Do we need to do something else?
Do we need to know something else?
How do I talk to my child?
Is this normal?
How do we do help our child?
How do we solve this problem?

We hope to alleviate some of the concerns parents may have and to reduce some of their anxiety by providing a reference point for the educational process. We will provide a terminology that helps parents to identify what they are trying to communicate to their children and a vocabulary for articulating their values. This should help parents to first see the good which they are already accomplishing as well as what they need to work on further with their children.

This department is presented in a series to address a number of the possible needs which parents might have.

Family Life Education

Defines the scope of Family Life Education and provides a description of the components.
Understanding and the Gift of Self
Defines understanding and intimacy how they are important to the family.

Virtues

Presents a description of the nature of virtues in general and their practical application within the family.

Theological and Moral Virtues

Defines these important qualities which comprise the foundation for character formation.

Communication

Explains how true communication is based upon the values of the family and how parents pass these on to the children.

Developmental Stages

Demonstrates how virtues are acquired over a period of many years and particular virtues can only be acquired when the appropriate developmental capacities have been realized.
Pedagogical considerations and practical tools are presented.
Breaks down the four stages and addresses each individually.

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Please be aware that another website is using the Family Life Institute and Dr. DiVietri's name without authorization. Considering the nature of the website and the contents it links to we are not naming the imposter website or giving a link to it. The Family Life Institute is currently seeking what recourse it can take to stop the activities of the website in question.