It s been awhile since my children were young. Our kids loved to go to the park to get on the swings. How they enjoyed being pushed from behind so they could soar to the sky! And, just as exciting as looking up was the pit-in-their-stomach joy when the force of gravity pulled them down.

Gravity s law is simple. What goes up must come down. There is a character law I ve observed that works with equal precision. When understood by a child, this law accelerates moral, ethical and values development.

I call it the Paying the Price law. The economist, Milton Friedman, described it as the No Free Lunch law.

The Paying the Price law says, if you want something, you must let go of something. As a parent you can teach your child this equation every time you take them with you to buy the week s groceries: Have your child watch you exchange money for food.

What if you want to teach your child or grandchild to practice the Paying the Price law to help them become a responsible child? You can show them Paying the Price equations to be practiced in order to build responsibility skills. Here are a few character Paying the Price equations you can teach your child?

• I give up using hurtful words as I choose to be a good friend.
• I stop complaining when I am asked to feed my family s pet, as I choose to become a family helper.
• I do not damage or destroy my own or a friend s toys or games as I choose to be respectful of property.

The Paying the Price law is based upon a truth that needs to be learned. If you want something better for your life, you choose to let go of the behavior, the attitude, the thought that is depriving you of what you want.

Children do want to be a good friend; be a family helper; be respectful of property. Children do need to learn the character skill of Paying the Price to guide them toward being the responsible young person they want to become.

– Russell Williams