Developing Good Character.........How to Help?

I guess the best way of helping a child develop good character is to teach by example. Adults around the child should refrain from doing anything inappropriate and to show good manners. Also, it is good to talk to the child often, explaining things so that he can easily understand. I also think that these things should be taught to the child even if he is still a baby. Children are like sponges, they hear and absorb everything.
Cheers!

I think I'm ALREADY doing it with my youngest, who will be a year old this weekend. If he comes to me and needs me to hold him, I pick him up. I don't leave him with people who would let him "cry it out." When he makes it clear he wants something, like a drink of my water, I share. If it's something he*can't* have, I tell him no, but I offer him a trade or a distraction.

He's already (I think) learning to share because he has people sharing with him. When his needs are met quickly, he learns to trust. A child learns best from people he trusts. He is learning how to treat people by how he is being treated-when we tell him 'no', it's not with yelling, grabbing things from him, etc

I have 2 other children. I know this doesn't mean he will NEVER yell, grab, hit, bite, push, or otherwise hurt another person, or do things he shouldn't. Then, you get them away from the person. You tell them you can't let them hurt someone else.

Now they're probably mad, because you've taken them away from whatever they are doing.
But when they are calm, you can point out how it affected the other person--it made them cry. Let the other kid tell your kid it hurt.

Don't*force* apologies. Mine know about "I'm sorry". They'll give hugs, kiss the other one's "owie" and stuff. It's much sweeter when it comes from a real feeling inside them--and they KNOW then what it feels like to have compassion for someone else.

And it's really simple real-life examples. Like I might let my kids have a snack in the store while we are shopping. But it is*never* fruit, because they have to weigh it and that is how you pay for it. They see me hand over the empty juice bottle to be scanned. I tell them we have to pay for that.
We take care of the things we get from the library.
We watch out for our friends' stuff too.

They don't get in trouble if they tell the truth. And I tell them that, when we're talking about whatever it is, why they're not getting punished is because they told the truth. (for now, it's all little stuff, they're little kids.)

I point out some things when I see them, I might even reward certain things. (like picking up your sister's stuff when she won't)

it's not as hard as you might think--at least not now while they are little.

Parents are their child's first teacher, so I think that is constantly looking for ways to educate our children before, as parents, we must find their own do our best. This is the best way to educate our children.