Many parents hope that their children will learn to make the right moral decisions.  But our children are bombarded with conflicting messages from the internet, friends, family, and society.  How should they respond to peer pressure, to violence, to dishonesty and to material temptation?  They get different answers from all sides. 

In response, some parents end up taking their children to church or temple -- even when they don't believe the dogma -- in hopes that their children will learn, somehow, how to be good. But religious doctrine often is rule and punishment-based.  Rules help when the issues are simple and clear. But in our complex world, children need tools that can help them decide on the right course even in the most confusing situation.  

Arthur Dobrin will also be leading a workshop related to this topic, at 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the nearby Vienna Community Center.  (About the workshop)

Arthur Dobrin will discuss what parents can do to raise a moral child.  A member of Hofstra University’s faculty, Arthur is the author of more than 60 articles appearing in magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times. He has appeared on many local and national radio and television shows.

Arthur Dobrin is author of 40 Things You Can Do to Raise a Moral Child, Spelling GOD with Two O’s, and numerous other books on parenting, ethics, and other issues.