Avoid Self-Righteousness and Cultivate a Virtuous Heart

“I’m proud to be so humble!”
Common approaches to character formation direct children’s attention toward what’s ideal and reward displaying particular virtues. After all, it’s important for children to know what’s right and to do what’s good. Children with special needs, however, often need help with important prerequisites. How can we help them attend to their reality as it is now and to understand others’ feelings? How can we honor what they have to teach us about being authentic, regardless of what others think—or about honestly caring, even when we can’t quite connect?