Encouraging Our Kids to be Kind
How do you talk about kindness with kids? That’s something we get asked a lot, and we’ve partnered with The Children’s Place to get the conversation started. We’re challenging parents and educators to inspire kids to share 5,000 kind notes in the month of January.
Why kindness is so important for kids to learn and practice
Kindness is a path to feeling good about yourself, others, and the world around you. As Mr. Rogers taught us, when a child does a kind act they discover something special about themselves.
Science has shown that acts of kindness, big or small, make the giver, and even lucky bystanders, happier. When we teach a child how to do a kind act, we are giving them a powerful tool both for personal well-being and to make a measurable impact on the world around them.
We are excited about exploring the role of kindness in the lives of kids in our own research. Emerging research on this topic is encouraging, such as the work of Dr. John Tyler-Binfet on kindness in schools.
Words matter. What does your child have to say?
When we focus on kindness, we imagine a better world. Talking to kids about kindness can start with listening to what they have to say.
We can ask our kids how they define kindness and what counts as kindness to them. And we can ask our kids to share a story of kindness from their own lives with us. Who do they consider to be “kind” people? Why?
We believe teaching kids how to be kind is one of the most important skills we can teach them. As a child practices kindness, they are also developing their ability to find good in the world, and in themselves.
Help kids write 5,000 kind notes by February 1st.
Turn your conversation to action by participating in the Notes of Kindness challenge.
- Talk about kindness with kids
- Choose someone to surprise with a kind note
- Help your kids write a kind note, take a photo of their kindness moment and upload it to Instagram or Twitter with #kindkids to inspire others
Remember, kindness is contagious. The more we think about it, and the more we talk about it, the more kindness there will be in the world. And more kindness equals more happiness!
Want to learn more? Visit the Notes of Kindness challenge for inspiring stories and photos.
