Teaching Children to be Kind

World Kindness Day, celebrated on the 13th of November each year, was first introduced by the World Kindness Movement in 1998 and has since gained recognition and support worldwide. It gives us an excellent opportunity to show children the importance of kindness, which has a huge impact on their wellbeing; making them feel happy, optimistic, confident, and more connected to others. It can also help to reduce stress, anxiety, increase the production of endorphins – the body’s natural painkillers, and even lower blood pressure. The great news is that these benefits can be felt by both the recipient and the giver of the kindness, and what’s even better is that kindness can be learnt, nurtured and passed onto future generations. 

 

So, how can we teach children to be kind?...

1. Lead by example – Children learn by observing the behaviour of the adults around them, so as a parent you can set the stage for kindness in your family by modelling it yourself. Simple acts like saying please and thank you, helping others in need, and showing empathy and compassion can go a long way.
2. Teach empathy – Empathy is the cornerstone of kindness. Encourage your child to understand and share the feelings of others. Ask them questions like, “How do you think they feel?” or “What would you feel if you were in their shoes?”. This will help them to develop emotional intelligence and a greater capacity for kindness.
3. Praise acts of kindness – When your child demonstrates kindness, whether it’s sharing with a friend or comforting a sibling, be sure to acknowledge and praise their actions. This will reinforce the idea that kindness is a good thing and a valued behaviour.
4. Set expectations – Let your child know that kindness is a non-negotiable value in your home and that they must always consider the feelings of other members of the family. Encourage them to share, be polite to one another, and always apologise when they’ve made a mistake. Apologising is a key element of kindness and teaches children the value of forgiveness. 
5. It works both ways – Help your child to see how being kind not only makes others feel good, it also benefits the giver of the kindness – giving them a sense of warmth, pride, satisfaction, and helps them to feel connected to others; all of which are great for nurturing their own emotional wellbeing.
6. Read books – There are many children’s books that focus on kindness, friendship, and compassion. Reading these stories with your child can be a great way to start a conversation about the importance of being kind to others.
7. Discuss the Ripple Effect – Help your child to understand that small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect. When they do something kind, it can inspire others to do the same, and so on.
8. Be patient – Developing kindness is a lifelong journey and children may not always get it right, so be patient, correct behaviour when necessary, and give guidance to help them grow in their understanding of what kindness is.

 

Kindness Challenge

On World Kindness Day, challenge your child to complete a number of acts of kindness. Encourage them to come up with ideas or give them some suggestions. How many from this list can they do?…

 

1. Smile at someone.
2. Invite someone who is playing on their own to play with them.
3. Tell a joke to cheer someone up.
4. Let somebody go first.
5. Help a friend with their work.
6. Open the door for someone.
7. Pick up some litter and put it in the bin.
8. Hang up someone’s coat if it’s fallen off a coat hook.
9. Help with chores at home.
10. Send a postcard to a friend or family member.
11. Feed the birds in the garden.
12. Give some toys to a charity shop.
13. Write a thank you card to someone.
14. Bake some cakes or biscuits for a loved one.
15. Visit a relative.

 

World Kindness Day is the perfect time to start a kindness project with your child. Here are some ideas to get you started; 

 

Kindness Jar

Making a kindness jar is easy to do, can involve the whole family, is a great way of bringing kindness into your everyday life, and all you need is an empty jar, small pieces of paper, and pens…

Ask everyone in your family to write down several acts of kindness, one on each piece of paper and place them in the jar. When the jar is full, put it somewhere obvious in your home, such as in the hallway or on the side in the kitchen, then every day each member of the family can pick out a piece of paper and carry out the act of kindness written on it. These acts don’t have to be extravagant, they could be as simple as complimenting the first person you see, helping them to carry a heavy bag, or holding the door open for them. You could also get your child to decorate the jar to make it even more special. More activities here.

 

Kindness Rocks 

Get your child to decorate rocks with kind or uplifting messages such as ‘You are amazing’ or ‘Dream big’ using acrylic paints – ones that are made specifically for outdoor craft projects are ideal, or you can seal the painted rocks with a varnish to make them waterproof. Then take the rocks on a walk around the neighbourhood, leaving them in places where people will find them, giving them a boost and brightening their day, maybe even inspiring them to decorate their own rocks and spread more kind words and inspirational messages. 

 

Wall of Kindness

All you need to do this is space on a wall, paper, pens, and Blu Tack or masking tape to attach notes to the wall without damaging it. 

Have paper readily available so that at the end of each day when they return home, your child can note down an act of kindness they have seen, done, or received that day and add it to the Wall of Kindness. After a while they will have created a big collage of kindness, which will be lovely for them to look back on, particularly on days when things haven’t gone well and they need reminding that their friends and family care about them.

 

Of course, being kind shouldn’t be limited to one day of the year, kindness should be encouraged all year round. It’s about making a conscious effort to be kinder to each other every day so that it becomes second nature. By leading by example, teaching empathy, and encouraging kindness, little by little we can help raise a generation of compassionate and caring individuals.