Encouraging Random Acts of Kindness in Children
How to Promote Kindness Against Negative Influences
Materialism is a major part of our culture today. Advertising on TV, in magazines, and on billboards leave the impression that possessions are more important than people. It is understandable that children would absorb these messages so easily. Parents can counter this by being a positive role model in their children's lives. When they see you putting people before things, they can be positively influenced. Give children visual reminders that caring for others is just as important.
Parents can also encourage children to be more empathetic by calling into attention those moments. Too often, parents put more attention on when their children misbehave or act out. Turning that around, giving attention to the times when your child shares or gives freely will encourage your child to be caring more often. Acknowledging kindness will create more kind moments.
Make kindness a daily part of your day with your children. Bring your children with you as you take meals to sick neighbors, help in a donation drive, or visit retirement centers. Even small acts of kindness, such as offering change to a homeless person. When your children see that acting with kindness is a family tradition, they feel more enthusiastic about joining in.
Create a daily kindness challenge for your family, encouraging everyone to perform random acts of kindness every day. Smiling at strangers, offering to help a sibling, holding doors open, and complimenting others are simple ways to offer kindness to others every day. It does not take large changes to make each day better, small acts of kindness can add up to bring happiness to everyone's day.
Teaching children to share kindness can seem like a monumental task in today's culture. Working against the materialism and competitive is an important task, one that needs to be done every day. Luckily encouraging children to perform random acts of kindness is simple for parents to do.
Published by Summer Minor
Summer Minor is a mother of 3 who practices Attachment Parenting and believes that with gentle guidance children can grow to be who they were meant to be. She blogs about parenting at http://mama2mamatips.com View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentThere were plenty kids there that had nowhere to spend Thanksgiving. She decided to take this burden upon herself, and make Thanksgiving dinner for them ALL! This, to me, is a selfless act of kindness. If I were well-off, She'd be a rich relative. I wish I could nominate her for an award. God has surely put her in the lives of SO many, and words cannot express her giving heart.
MybrothermarriedMyrtle,Illcallher-shesaverykind-hearted,givingAngelofGod.ThisisthebestwaythatIcandescribeherasIveobservedherovermanyyears.Aftermybrotherretired,theygaveuptheirexpensivehome,andshemovedherfamilytoherparentshometowninAlabama.Thisonlyconsistedofherhusband
My brother married Myrtle, I'll call her - she's a very kind-hearted, giving Angel of God. This is the best way that I can describe her as I've observed her over many years. After my brother retired, they gave up their expensive home, and she moved her family to her parents hometown in Alabama. This only consisted of her husband & herself, but when she noted that her grandkids wouldn't be thoroughly cared for (to her liking) without her...she brought them too (all 4 - a 9 year old, two toddlers, and one baby). I just found out that her dad passed away, so she went to Michigan to make the funeral arrangements, and returned to Alabama - bringing her mom with her. Her mom is in her 70's, and is well into the stages of Alzheimer's disease. Myrtle does lots of baking, and sells her goods for extra money. She's an excellent Cake Decorator, and also works full-time in a college cafeteria. This Thanksgiving she noted that the cafeteria was closed down for a week. T
My granddaughter was talking one time about how rude salespeople and other folks out and about were. I challenged her to spend just one week being nice to people who she met out. I told her to try saying "please" and "thank you" to salesclerks, offering up compliments, that sort of thing. I told her that I would do the same and that at the end of the week we would compare notes. She was amazed how many people started out almost rude and then began to act nice and friendly towards her. :)