How to teach your kids to be kind
What's the story
A simple act of kindness is enough to make the world a beautiful place, and it all starts at home. As parents, you should teach your kids to be kind and empathetic toward others while helping them understand the art of forgetting and forgiving. Here are a few ways to teach your children the importance of kind words, gestures, and smiles.
Kind habits
Instill kind habits in them
Make your little one understand the value of sharing, giving, volunteering, supporting, listening and compromising, and making others happy. It could be helping a classmate solve a math problem, giving up the seat for an elderly person on a bus, or helping you with a chore. Also, ensure that they practice gracious actions like saying "please" or "thank you."
Role model
Be a good role model to them
Kids learn from their surroundings and the people around them. Remember to be kind and gracious to everyone you meet throughout the day so that your child can learn from your behavior and replicate it. Even if you are tired and frustrated, speak to your child kindly. Try to discipline them with love, support, and care, instead of using harsh words.
Act of similing
Teach them the simple act of smiling
A simple smile can make someone's day and fill the atmosphere with contagious joy and positivity. A random act of kindness makes one feel warm and nice and urged them to smile in return as well. You can play a smiling game with your child and make them understand how the act is contagious and generates positivity around them.
Volunteering
Encourage them to volunteer more
Volunteering not only instills feelings of kindness, empathy, and compassion in kids but also makes them confident and helps build skills. Doing something for others or lending someone a helping hand will teach your child how little acts of kindness can make a difference. It can be helping animals or people, donating clothes to an NGO supporting needy children, or, visiting an old-age home.
Kind tone
Correct your child's tone when they talk to you rudely
Kindness starts at home. So, do not support your child's rude or disrespectful behavior or actions and educate them that it is wrong to talk in such a manner and it will not be accepted. Instead of being too strict or punitive, sit with them, try to understand their behavior, and correct them. Help them understand what kind behavior and tone mean.