Raising Kids of Character!

Character used to be an assumed high priority in families and in our culture. ❤️🙌🏼

Sadly, our culture has moved away from a focus on godly character. Yet, as parents, we still can! And wow what a difference it makes!

I love to encourage parents in their efforts to raise kids of character. I have put the work in with my own kids (and by God’s grace, 3 of them are now character-rich young adults!) I have also invested many years into learning about character development. Now it is my greatest honor to help other parents raise kids of character!

The greatest way I do that is through my online, CHARACTER TRAINING COURSE. Over a thousand families have gone through the course and the feedback has been incredible! (read more about it below!)

I only open the doors to the course three times a year (spring, summer and fall) but if you leave your name and email below, I will notify you when the doors are opening, and meanwhile — I will send you some free stuff to help you in your parenting journey!

If you join my growing list now, you’ll get a value-packed (and beautiful!) download: “What to Expect in Each Stage of Development” — with helpful information, resources, tips, and wisdom for raising great kids from Preschool through High School!

Leave your name and email below and I’ll send you this download right away! Then I’ll follow up with occasional emails sharing more encouragement, links, and free stuff! 🙂

More about the Character Training Course…

This online course has blessed families all over the world with wisdom and practical help for…

  • Motivating your kids to WANT to embrace noble character
  • Helping Kids find positive influences and role models
  • Using effective consequences and discipline
  • Guiding our tweens and teens to better decision making!
  • Parenting through anxiety and other life challenges
  • Nurturing gratitude in kids and fighting entitlement
  • Building a strong work ethic in our kids!
  • AND MORE!!!

This is a self-paced course for parents who want to help their kids develop and embrace godly character!

Raising a character-rich child is challenging, I know.  I currently have a college graduate, one son in college, an 19 year-old, and a twelve year old, and it has been my mission to raise them to know and love God, and embrace Godly character.  It has not always been easy, but it has been worth all of the effort!  Now I want you to have the same experience.

For over 12 years I have been sharing practical help and encouragement with families on my blog, MonicaSwanson.com.  My book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like their Family, and Do the Dishes without Being Asked released in February of 2023 and in 2019 I published Boy Mom: What Your Son Needs Most from You.I am also the host of The Monica Swanson Podcast! (previously called the Boy Mom Podcast)

After all of these years, the topic of CHARACTER continues to come up more than any other with my readers and listeners.  I love that parents desire to train their kids to embrace excellent character and I want to help!  Considering everything I have learned and what I have found to be most important, I decided this course would be the best way to offer support and encouragement to parents who are eager to raise character-rich kids.

After months of hard word, everything is now in one place and we’re diving in deep: incredible resources, podcast-style interviews with experts, and more! CLICK HERE TO See the Course page and see a course overview. 

Inside the course, we will discuss:

  • motivations for character development
  • kid-friendly definitions and examples of character qualities
  • the power of influences and role models
  • building a strong family unit
  • anger in parenting
  • how we can help our kids make better choices
  • the use of consequences and discipline as tools for character development
  • friendship challenges during tween and teenage years
  • NEW MODULE on Cultivating Gratitude and Fighting Entitlement (with Kristen Welch!)
  • NEW interview and download on Kids and Anxiety with David Thomas!

Module lessons include downloadable resources:

  • Scripture-based prayers for your children
  • character-inspiring books to read and movies to watch with your child(ren)
  • a list of life skills by age range
  • seven practical ways to train character in the early years
  • question prompts to use when guiding your child(ren) to make wise decisions
  • power-packed lists of character-rich quotes
  • guidelines to implementing appropriate consequences and discipline
  • a guide to conflict resolution and peacemaking
  • encouragement (from my husband Dave) to busy dads who want to be intentional
  • and much more!
  • Every Module includes interviews with experts, including:
  • Wendy Speake, co-author of Triggers: Exchanging Parents Angry Reactions for Gentle, Biblical Responses, and Parenting Scripts: When What You’re Saying Isn’t Working, Say Something New. 
  • Ruth Chou Simons, mother of five, author of Gracelaced, Beholding and Becoming, and co-author of Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family.
  • Jonathan Pitts, Pastor, father of four, and co-author of She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You, talking about the importance of the Father-daughter relationship.
  • Kari Kampakis, mom of four, author of  Love Her Well, and Liked: Whose Approval are you Living For? 
  • Jonah Swanson, my (now 21-year old) son who shares about his experience going through the original Character Training at home! 😃  (A student-favorite!)
  • A video interview with my husband, Dave, who encourages busy dads in their role in raising kids of character!
  • Durenda Wilson, homeschool Mom to 8, who talks about raising kids with a strong work ethic!
  • Kristen Welch, author of Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World! 
  • David Thomas, author of Are my Kids on Track, and Raising Emotionally Strong Boys (and more!) 

What Students Are Saying:

“This course is a must-have for parents and families. It is filled with valuable information, lessons and resources to help us navigate building character with our kids, no matter what age they are. Monica has such a light-hearted way of presenting information and so much knowledge to share. The resources are useful and can be used immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course!” 

“The Character Training Course is packed full of priceless information, tips, encouraging quotes, relatable and resourceful information, fabulous interviews and thoughtful biblical verses that bring it all together. I will be revisiting this information again and again.” 

“I cannot recommend Monica’s Character Training Course enough! As soon as I started it, I felt hopeful. She provides so much insight and wisdom. The interviews and bonus material are very helpful and encouraging. Monica is relatable and practical, but also wise and godly. Parenting is so important and I would not be a good steward if I just tried to figure it out on my own. My boys are worth this investment into their hearts and minds and lives.” 

“This course is tremendously beneficial and every parent will gain so much confidence and encouragement after it is completed. Go for it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!”