Kindness is one of the important qualities to foster in children. There is no obvious way in teaching your kids how to imbibe kindness. It’s not as easy as teaching them the letters of the alphabets or how to make their beds.
Kindness as a quality comes easily to some children. Children already have a great capacity to be compassionate, but with all the pain and wickedness in the world today, it becomes necessary to nurture these innate qualities of kindness in them and show them the benefits of compassion so they do not allow the world harden them before they grow up into adults. Teaching children early enough to be compassionate and empathetic helps them build up values that they will follow for as long as they live. When children learn to be kind and to give, it helps their development, and it helps them feel good about themselves. Being kind promotes a positive attitude in children.
Here are a few ways you can use in teaching your children how to be kind
Children, as expected mostly learn by examples, seeing their parents or guardians practicing something rather than doing it, helps them learn. When you demonstrate compassion and empathy to those around you and even strangers, it shows them the importance of showing empathy, and they begin to assimilate instances when kindness has been shown, and if by chance they find themselves in that situation, they know the best action to take in that situation. Even in your everyday interactions with your children, show them kindness. A child cannot be kind when they have not experienced kindness.
Teach Gentleness
Show your child how to be gentle with humans and animals. When you see them being rough in their actions towards others whether their siblings or to their pet, you should be quick to correct them and show them how to handle others with love.
Involvement
Get your children involved in kindness project. Allow them to pitch in when you are trying to send meals to a neighbor who might be ill or has lost a loved one. When you go to deliver these gifts, take your kids along, so they understand the importance of showing sympathy and the joy that comes from making someone smile.
Sharing
Teach your kids to share. Make it a duty to learn to donate items they might not be using to charity or to share their toys with their friends or other kids when asked.
Think of Others
Tell them always to put themselves in someone’s shoes before they react at any given time. Learning to put yourself in someone’s shoes before taking any decision makes you kinder because you think of how you will want to be treated in that same situation and act accordingly.
Avoid Rudeness
Avoid being rude to others. When you are in a restaurant with your kids, mind the way you speak to the waiters or even when buying something from the supermarket, be careful with the way you talk to the sales person. Children notice when you are rude. If at any point, you see your child speaking or acting rudely to someone, correct them and make sure they apologize. Teach your children always to compliment others and to be appreciative of any service rendered to them.
When teaching your children to be kind, remember it’s on you to be a good role model for them.