Made You Smile Back is pleased to present this enlightening article about kindness for kids. We shall discuss creative ways on how to teach our kids the healing power of kindness.
Examples will be provided on how simple ‘random acts of kindness’ have the capacity to transform not only our children’s lives but for ourselves and others. For additional inspiration and empowerment, Made You Smile Back will also gladly provide 40 quotes about kindness for kids.
Kindness for Kids
With the current social situation of coping within the struggles of a pandemic, we should never forget that we’re all human beings. As such, we all can be healed with kindness, and when received from a child, it has an extremely powerful healing energy that has the capacity to literally transform our lives.
Choosing Kindness
Choosing kindness from our youth is so important, because according to Steve Siegle, L.P.C. writing for Mayo’s Clinic Health System, he states: “Kindness is more than behavior. The art of kindness means harboring a spirit of helpfulness, as well as being generous and considerate, and doing so without expecting anything in return. Kindness is a quality of being. The act of giving kindness often is simple, free, positive, and healthy.”
Healing Properties of Kindness to the Body
Would it surprise you to know that increased self-esteem, empathy and compassion are the benefits of kindness?
- It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels.
- People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.
- Kindness can increase your sense of connectivity with others, which can directly impact loneliness, improve low mood and enhance relationships in general.
- It also can be contagious. Looking for ways to show kindness can give you a focus activity, especially if you tend to be anxious or stressed in some social situations.
Healing Properties of Kindness for the Mind
Likewise, kindness positively changes the way your brain is wired. The act of being kind also raises the neurotransmitters known as serotonin and dopamine. These are the brain chemicals that provide us with ‘feel-good’ feelings and well-being.
In addition, kindness causes another brain chemical, known as Endorphins, to be released which are your body’s natural pain killer.
No one can argue that there is extraordinary healing power from the kindness received from a child. And this type of kindness can literally leave a life-changing imprint/memory to cherish for many years to come.
Teaching Kindness For Kids
Why Kindness? Children often don’t understand what it means to be kind. This is why teaching them kindness is important. By doing so, they learn about the importance of being kind and how to be kind themselves.
Children who are kind will not only be kind to others, but also to themselves. It is also a way of showing gratitude.
Kindness is important because it teaches children about social skills. Social skills are key for kids to know how to interact with others in a positive way. This includes knowing how to say “thank you” and how to listen.
Kids Teaching Kids Kindness
The Power of Kindness
When asked what one thing they would change in the world, nearly half of kids answered they want a kinder world.
It has the power to drastically improve our own well-being as well as that of our families, friends, acquaintances, and strangers.
When children show kindness to each other, they learn to be kind themselves. The power of kindness is more impactful when received from a child. Showing genuine and authentic kindness takes courage and is self-rewarding.
Kindness is truly powerful. One act can have a ripple effect that spreads outwards to others.
How to Effectively Teach our Kids About Kindness
According to Nancy Cunningham, PsyD, a psychologist at NationsWide Children’s Hospital, tells us:
- Actions are taught: Kids notice and are impacted when adults act unkindly and it influences how they process feelings and manage conflict.
- Kids have a basic understanding of empathy, creating natural conversation opportunities for adults to reinforce empathetic behavior into adolescence and beyond, even in difficult situations.
First and foremost, showing kindness to children is easily done through small, simple gestures.
Let’s look at some of the ways we can teach our kids about kindness.
- Perform random acts of kindness. Hold the door open for someone. Donate clothes or toys to a charity. Drop off food at a family shelter or toys at an animal shelter. Or have your child write a note to someone who’s done something nice for them.
- Be a role model. Say please and thank you. When someone irritates you, model behavior you want your children to follow. Speak kindly.
- Talk about it. Share articles from the news of people who are doing good deeds. Use everyday life examples to show how kindness was displayed. When someone is unkind to you and/or your child, talk about the best way to handle the situation.
- Show gratitude each day. Have your children share what they are thankful about over dinner or ways they experienced kindness at school.
Teaching Kindness & Respect to Kids
Let’s reiterate… kindness is one of the most important values to teach your child.
It can sometimes feel hard to be kind to others, even when you know you should be. Kids understand this intuitively, and that’s why it’s so important to instill in them the value of being kind and generous.
The most important thing to remember when teaching your child about kindness is to start small and work your way up to bigger and bigger kindnesses.
When we begin with small acts of kindness, it is much easier for us to do more later. For example, if you teach your child to say thank you to the person who helped him get his book from the library, it will be much easier to say thank you when he needs help with his homework.
It is also much easier for us to say kind things to others when we have practiced doing them first. So, the best way to learn about kindness is to start with small kindnesses and then work your way up.
This is why it is a good idea to teach your child about kindness when he is young. As he grows older, he will be more interested in learning about how kindness can change the world.
40 Quotes About Kindness for Kids
Kindness is not only a part of “good manners”; it’s something that the world desperately needs. At times where we see less good done in the world, we as parents, grandparents, caregivers and/or teachers, have an important role in raising your children to be kind, respectful and positive human beings.
A small act of kindness can brighten up someone’s day. It’s important to teach our children how to be kind from a young age, and these kindness quotes for kids will help you inspire them.
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In Summary
Now more than ever it is necessary to be kind. It is important to think about kindness as a skill that we can grow from an early age.
For those of you reading this article, in teaching our youth the importance of practicing kindness in their lives, I wish for EVERYONE to “experience the magical touch of kindness.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is kindness for kids?
The kindness of a child is the quality of a child or teen being warm-hearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic.
2. What are 20 acts of kindness from kids?
1) Holding the door open for someone.
2) Doing a chore for someone without them knowing.
3) Telling a joke.
4) Returning someone’s cart at the store.
5) Giving candy to your bank teller.
6) Leaving a letter in a library book.
7) Feeding the birds.
8) Leaving happy notes around town.
9) Putting a small bin in your car to collect recycling.
10) Calling your grandparents and ask them about their childhood.
11) Picking up litter.
12) Letting someone go ahead of you in line.
13) Complimenting a friend.
14) Washing someone’s car.
15) Writing a thank you note for your mail carrier.
16) Planting something.
17) Baking dessert for a neighbor
18) Walking dogs at the animal shelter.
19) Checking in on an elderly neighbor.
20) Putting change in a vending machine and paying it forward.
3. What are other ways we can teach kindness to our kids?
Rachel Tomlinson, Registered Psychologist and author of Teaching Kids to be Kind suggests:
“Children learn to be kind, not only by receiving kindness, but by experiencing the warmth and satisfaction of offering kindness and compassion to others,” explains Rachel.
Within her book, Rachel explores five strategies on how parents and caregivers can demonstrate kindness, as well as how they can set up opportunities for their children to be kind.
“The five strategies focus on:
1) modeling (walking the walk),
2) language use and development (talking the talk),
3) reinforcing behaviors,
4) emotional regulation (self-managing their emotions and distress) and
5) expanding their circle of concern to notice others,” she says.
4. What are fun ways to teach kindness for kids?
1) Send Kind Thoughts.
2) Share Stories of Kindness.
3) Smile at Everyone you Meet.
4) Intentionally Say a Compliment to Somone.
5) Leave a Hidden Note of Encouragement.
5. How do you explain kindness to preschoolers?
Here are several special and unique ideas to help teach kindness to preschoolers:
* Let a sibling pick the movie they’re going to watch.
* Draw a picture for a relative and send it to him or her in the mail.
* Help mom and dad with age-appropriate chores.
* Teach the “why” behind saying please and thank you.
* Do something nice for their teacher – paint them a picture, bring them a treat or a coffee.
* Donate toys that they don’t play with anymore. …
* Invite all friends to play – excluding kids isn’t nice.
