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Trustworthiness:

To be honest and reliable in carrying out commitments, duties, and obligations. Trustworthiness is a quality in people we admire for it shows commitment, courage, and self discipline.

Trustworthiness is a character trait that is earned slowly by being keeping promises, being honest, and acting with integrity. While earning trust takes a lot of time, losing trust can happen very quickly.

“Trust also involves the conviction that the person or organization will successfully do what is expected. This competency dimension of trust embraces faith in ability knowledge and judgement as well as a belief that the person or organization will be reliable and responsive. Reliability is established through diligence and follow through while responsiveness involves respectful communication and demonstrated concern.” Michael Josephson

A Trustworthy Person

  • Tells the truth
  • Keeps promises
  • Returns what is borrowed
  • Does the right thing even if it is not popular
  • Is reliable and does what they say they will do
  • Is loyal and stands by their families, friends and communities

Disscussions

  • Discuss promises with your kids. When you make a promise do you keep it?
  • Confirm that your child knows the difference between tattling and speaking up when someone may get hurt.

Activities:

  • Role model ways in which you keep your promises. Give examples of real life situations and let your kids decide if the person is being trustworthy or not.
  • Write about a person you trust. Why do you trust this person? How important is it that they trust you?
  • Keep a journal for a short period of time (week or month) that focuses on your relationships with your family and friends. Keep note of the areas of trustworthiness you remember or experience. If there are things that displease you, develop some ideas or a plan to improve the situation.
  • Develop a checklist for evaluating the trustworthiness of political leaders. Test out your checklist by listening to a politician speaking on TV.

Service Learning Activities:

  • Design and make flyers of recycling tips for the community.
  • Interview  a city council member or deputy about the government’s role in providing services for people in need.
  • Write skits that promote building the character trait of trustworthiness, perform them for another group of kids.