10 ways to teach kindness to children
There is no doubt that every parent wants the best for their child and this incorporates helping them to grow up to be well-rounded individuals, which includes fostering an inherent culture of kindness. From an early age, children tend to be naturally kind to one another. However, unfortunately, as humans, it is a character trait which can quickly be lost due to the environment which we grow up in. Children need to be kind to their peers, to teachers and all around them, and sometimes this is something that as a society, we need to cultivate. As a leading kindergarten in Bangkok, we intentionally create a culture which helps to nurture kindness. We believe that this encourages empathy and understanding, something which will help them to form stronger and deeper relationships. As these relationships build, it naturally creates trust between individuals, and this will help pupils to feel genuinely valued, which, in turn, forges a healthy culture for learning. These are all skills that will be invaluable not only throughout their school life but also at university and in adulthood. Here are ten techniques which we suggest for helping to teach kindness in children of all ages. 1. Be a good role model From the day that a child is born and in their early formative years, much of a child’s learning will be done from watching and copying others. It is, therefore, vital that as parents, carers and educators, we set a good example and that we are kind to others. For example, in schools, we have different people supporting the children throughout the day such as teachers, teaching assistants, or nannies, and we make a point of thanking them for everything that they do in front of the pupils. As children replicate what we do, they soon start doing the same, initially thanking staff and developing into a pattern that then continues with their peers and others who are part of their day. As parents, we should be kind to others at home and respectful to others when you go out. Of course, this is something that you will do naturally, but it is something that initially, you should exaggerate so that your child notices and follows your lead. All children look to role models, so it is crucial that as teachers and parents, we set a good example. 2. Empathy with intentionality Learning to see things from another person’s perspective is a skill that we should all learn to master, but unfortunately, it is something that can be easier said than done. Some of you may be familiar with “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids”, and one of the habits is learning to be kind to others. It is particularly relevant when it comes to dealing with conflict and relates to the popular Franklin Covey expression “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood” you can do this and see things from another person’s perspective, even if you don’t necessarily agree, it will help you have empathy with their feelings. 3. Kindness Week Kindness Week, which is celebrated in February, can give you ideas about what activities you could include to promote kindness. Although integrating kindness teaching and actions is something we endeavour to include in the daily routine, some of the ideas behind Kindness Week are beneficial. We would prefer to include activities such as helping a friend tidy up, helping a peer to fasten their shoes or generally do something nice for another person may be beneficial in some circumstances, rather than offering gifts or presents. These Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) are popular with children, and it can be a fun exercise with all the teachers joining in. While it is fun, it does carry a serious message in that we should always be kind to each other, and when we are, we are all happier and relaxed. 4. Encourage discussions Even in younger children, you can arrange meetings where students talk about something that has happened to them, for example, over the weekend. The story may be fun or sad, but the other students are encouraged to listen and ask questions. Teachers can also become involved if none of the students has a story to tell. It helps to form bonds, but it also helps to encourage understanding and empathy of their peers. If you have pupils in your class from different countries, cultures or backgrounds, you can encourage them to tell others about their experiences. It will help to breed greater tolerance which is excellent for building trust, breaking down barriers and with it, relationships. It will allow students to appreciate others and accept differences along with deepening their learning experience. Over time, this will hopefully help to build a stronger community and a better society for us all. 5. Focus on building friendships We want our children to be kind to everyone, and creating an environment where students can quickly form friendships will help to facilitate this. A common saying in classrooms, especially with younger students is “We are all friends”. An exercise could be to look at what friends do for one another and what friends like to do together. Encourage the children to speak, and you will have some fantastic insights into how children feel and think! Friendship is all about listening to others so this needs to be stressed throughout the exercise to stop it from descending into chaos. 6. Have a Kindness Centre As friendship is such an integral part of kindness, one possibility that you could explore is to develop a “Kindness Centre” where children are encouraged to form friendships, perhaps in pairs. One student talks or reads from a book about something do with friendships and how friends help each other. After a certain time, ten minutes, for example, the class sits down and discusses what they have learned. As a teacher, we encourage students to focus on positive sentiments. Areas which you could then discuss as a group are: Friends encouraging each other Friends showing respect
