Read through the suggestions below and what each of them means to your family, then, as a family, choose those that best fit your situation. Once you've selected the ones your family considers most important, click "Build Agreement" to see your customized agreement, which you can print and have everyone sign. When you're done, put the agreement on the fridge or message board so everyone knows the values to live by every day.

We suggest you try to limit your agreement to five main values.

• Honesty: This important character trait implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way. For example, if a clerk gives you too much change and you let him/her know rather than keeping it, you’re modeling honesty.
• Compassion: Compassion literally means feeling the suffering of others. It is the sympathetic ability to understand the misfortune of others.
• Trustworthiness: More than just not lying, being trustworthy means that others can count on you when they need you the most.
• Selflessness: This important trait is the ability to sacrifice your pleasure for the benefit of others. It is an ability to recognize when kindness is needed most.
• Courtesy: More than just politeness, courtesy means putting the needs of others before your own. When Mom or Dad serves the children at dinner before themselves, that’s courtesy.
• Fairness: This is an innate ability to treat others without favoritism or discrimination and to recognize when this isn’t happening. A fair person goes out of his/her way to correct a situation in which someone is being treated unfairly.
• Respect: This trait is pretty simple, as its name says it all. It’s the capability of respecting yourself as you would another person. This means taking care of your body by eating right, exercising, and avoiding harmful substances, and taking care of your mind through constant education.