Kindness can be contagious! Help your child recognize, celebrate, and demonstrate kindness by talking about what it looks and feels like. Create a family signal to celebrate when you see one another being kind!
Talk as a family about what it means to be kind. Come up with specific acts of kindness you can do. Make up a family “super kind” gesture that you can use to silently acknowledge and celebrate when you see one another being kind.
Why It’s Important
Your child probably does kind things all the time without even realizing it. Pointing out specific examples of what kindness looks like and sounds like will help your child understand kindness better. When children view themselves as kind, their actions will reflect that. Remember that social and emotional skills such as friendliness or kindness need to be taught and practiced just like any other skill.
Not Ready Yet
Act it out! Do a simple role play that depicts a situation where kindness is needed. Have your child participate by helping to come up with things that a kind person might do or say in the situation.
Need a Challenge
Challenge your child to step into someone else’s shoes. What must it feel like to be treated unkindly? What does a person who is treated unkindly think?
Journal/Talk
Have your child make a list of ways to be kind at home. Hang the list somewhere that everyone in the family can see it as a reminder to be kind to one another.
Book Recommendations
“The Kindness Quilt” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Extend the Learning
As a family, choose one random act of kindness to do together each month. Head to the local park and pick up trash together, bake some treats for a neighbor, or simply go out for a walk and smile at each person you meet along the way. There are many ways to practice kindness together!
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
