It was Random Acts of Kindness Day this week – an annual day in which making small gestures of kindness to spread happiness is encouraged. And it has come at a time when people on social media are urging others to be kind in wake of recent tragic events. The hashtag #BeKind as well as quotes and words of wisdom about kindness have been shared by many in the last week and hopefully it has inspired people to think before they say, write or type anything considered to be unkind.
Being kind is the single most powerful thing we can teach our children. Children learn by watching and copying the actions of adults around them and so as adults, we have a powerful responsibility to teach by example. We live in a world now where photos and posts online can garner instant negative comments from complete strangers and although they may seem harmless to some, they can have damaging effects on those on the receiving end. Although unkindness is not something new, the speed, ease and anonymity at which people can pass judgement is extraordinary in today’s world of social media. However, this is not just limited to your online presence but also in everyday life - how you speak to the person who serves you in your local cafe, how you treat your colleagues at work, how you help a friend in need. We can all practice kindness in every aspect of our life and pass this onto the younger generation.
Kindness can be learnt like any other behaviour. Children may not fully appreciate the implications of what they say and how they may make others feel and this is where we come in. These are just some of the things you can do to help teach your children kindness.
1. Model kind behaviour. Children are watching and absorbing your behaviour all the time – the way you talk to strangers, the way you treat someone in need no matter how trivial, the way you talk about someone when they are not around. They are watching your kindness even when you do not know it. Although no one can be perfect all the time, we can all definitely work at being good role models and mentors for our children.
2. Be kind to your children. Being kind to your children makes them feel good about themselves and they are more likely to behave in the same way towards others. Even when you are tired or frustrated, try to speak to your children in a loving and kind manner. Kindness is contagious.
3. Smile and use kind words. Encourage your children to get into the habit of saying positive things, pay compliments to others where appropriate and to hold their tongue when they have a negative thought. As the saying goes ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’.
4. Share stories of kindness with your children. Sit down with your children for a few minutes every day and talk about something nice that you did or witnessed. Highlight emotions with them and how it made you feel and encourage them to do the same.
5. Encourage your children to read books with good role models to invoke their imagination. These books will offer children a reminder that they matter and that they too can be the heroes, go on adventures through positive behaviour.
6. Provide your children with opportunities to do something to help others. Whether it be helping around the house, helping a friend in need or charity work, show them the joy of helping others.
7. Encourage children to use the THINK technique before they say, write or type something – is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring, it is Necessary and it is Kind?
Children are our future and we want them to grow up to be generous, helpful and compassionate adults. No one is perfect, but we need to remind our children that this life can be heavy and that we need to reach for kindness at every turn.
Let’s encourage our children to cultivate kindness in an unkind world.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” - Plato
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