One of the defining features of Discovery Bay Daycare is our Character Development program. This course is neither cultural nor religious-bound because it is built upon eight universal standards or virtues of timeless truth. Many would agree that in today’s rapidly changing world, virtues have become lost in the quagmire of fast-paced, sensory-infused, technology-based forms of information that daily assault our minds whether we like it or not. The 8 Virtues program is an attempt to re-establish core societal values from which many cultures have evolved since the beginning of time.
The 8 Virtues include:
1. Humility
2. Courage
3. Cleanliness
4. Obedience
5. Industry
6. Integrity
7. Wisdom
8. Gratitude
The goal of the program is to enable children to find a sense of personal peace as they gain an understanding of these virtues through direct instruction and storybook presentation, and subsequently by incorporating them into their daily lives.
Virtues are standards of excellence. By definition, virtue implies self-control in what one feels and does. It involves being disciplined, and controlling appetites and emotions. This self-control or impulse control is based upon the premise of delayed gratification. A child is presented with a choice: an immediate smaller reward or a delayed larger reward. Choosing to delay personal satisfaction to a later time requires the goal or reward to be perceived as bigger, of greater value, or more important than the immediate reward, and thus more valuable to the individual. When a child can wait for personal fulfillment, he/she demonstrates self-control through delayed gratification. When one delays gratification it is a personal commitment and dedication to self-control leading to success. When based upon humility and committed to integrity, peace can be attained.
The 8 Virtues character development program offers a curriculum that adapts to the age and development of each child. It serves as a personal core value system for children, and is aimed at assisting them to cope with their changing world. Children delight in the stories of Sami and Lizi Seamonster and their underwater family and friends as they read and relate to common childhood concerns and dilemmas.
