According to different studies, teaching kindness to your child has multiple benefits. Teaching your child about the importance of being kind is one thing; reaping the benefits of performing acts of kindness long after they are done is another. Children are quick learners; the more you teach them, the better they will become.

Let’s discuss the why it is essential to teach children about kindness, the benefits of kindness for children, and how to teach your kid’s kindness in detail below-

What is Kindness?

Is it helping or showing gestures, or forgiving? One can never say, “I’m very kind”; it is for others to know it in their heart. Kindness is a type of behavior including acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistance, or concern for others without expecting praise, reward, or anything else in return. Kindness is more about being selfless, caring, and compassionate. Just like any other skill, it requires a lot of patience and practice to understand and feel it. In simple words, kindness means treating others as you would like to be treated.

What is the importance of kindness?

Kindness is known to be one of the effective tools that have the ability to make the world a better and happier place. A simple act of kindness can boost your confidence, happiness, and optimism. Your small act of kindness may also motivate others to do the same as they have experienced. And by doing so, they are contributing to building a more positive community. It is a valuable interpersonal skill that lights up the brain’s pleasure center and releases serotonin and oxytocin. The release of the hormone oxytocin is associated with decreasing blood pressure and reducing inflammation. This is why kindness feels good.

Benefits of Teaching Kindness for Children

A simple act of kindness increases the energy level and gives you an incredible feeling of positivity. There are several benefits of teaching children empathy; a few are given below.

  1. Kindness builds empathy among children.
  2. It also makes them more resilient,
  3. Helps in creating great leaders
  4. Increase happiness among kids
  5. Improve their confidence and self-esteem
  6. Keeps the kids happier and healthier.
  7. Along with improving mental health, kindness is also suitable for their physical growth.
  8. Kind people have more friends.
  9. It helps in making the world a better place to live.
  10. Kindness boosts mood
  11. Assists in the social and emotional development of the kid. Kindness makes the child feel connected with others and reinforces empathy and compassion.
  12. When students complement classroom learning with the real-world- community service, it improves their academic performance,
  13. Decrease stress and depression

How To Teach Kindness to Your Kid

It’s not that difficult to teach kindness to your kid. Around children, it’s not always about teaching; they learn more from seeing around themselves. The best way to teach your kids about kindness is by creating a culture of kindness in your home. Consider these below-given ways to show your children kindness.

  1. Help them to understand the meaning of kindness. You can begin the process by making your kids understand the exact meaning of kindness and why is it important. It is difficult for small kids to understand and execute them in their life. But you can start discussing empathy and kindness with your kids when they are 3 to 4 years old.
  2. Teach your kids about upstream reciprocity; when they realize that their one kind behavior is likely to cause a ripple effect of the kind deed, this will activate their imagination to think about a better world.
  3. Let them know that positive actions helps in maintaining the long-term effects of those changes on well-being.
  4. Teach your kid to say only positive things, such as things that will make others happy rather than sad. And if they don’t have anything nice to say, they should not give any negative opinion.
  5. Teach your child about kind words and smiles. You should get your kids into a habit of being friendly with others.
  6. Good manners. Being respectful, talking politely, greeting people properly, and showing good manners are also important.
  7. Be nice to your child. Even if you are tired, angry, & frustrated, always behave politely with your kids.
  8. Be vigilant about what your child sees, learns, writes, and reads online.
  9. Along with all the ways mentioned above, you should keep this thing in mind that kindness is not always easy. There might be some instances where it is difficult to showcase kindness, but in that case, you need to encourage your child to behave responsibly. The more they practice, the easier it will be when it’s hard.

Simple act of kindness

A few acts of kindness and empathy that you can teach your kids are-

  • Feeding the stay animals
  • Donating used toys
  • To share their pieces of stuff with other
  • Spending time with elders
  • Complimenting someone for their work
  • Help the needy people
  • Planting trees
  • Holding the door open for someone
  • Thanking others
  • Sending get well soon cards
  • Helping elders or siblings
  • Helping their friends with homework
  • Talking politely
  • Not fighting with others
  • Write a thank-you note to the teacher who stayed after school a few extra minutes.
  • Allowing someone to go ahead of you in a queue

Bottom Line

Teaching kindness and empathy become more important for a kid in this busy world where everyone is running behind power, money, and position. But while teaching kindness, you need to remember that teaching kindness to your child will take some time. Hence you need to be very patient and should encourage your child to work on developing this skill.

FAQs

What are the benefits of kindness?

Kindness has different benefits, such as improving the kid’s mental and physical health, keeping them happier and healthier, boosting their confidence and self-esteem, building empathy, and making them more confident about themselves.

Why is kindness so important for kids?

Kindness is essential for kids as it increases their energy and provides a wonderful feeling of gratitude and optimism.

Is kindness a good quality?

Yes, kindness is good quality. Kindness is famous as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Being kind and empathetic strengthens your relationships and sense of life satisfaction. Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are a few words associated with kindness.

How does kindness lead to happiness?

Kindness releases some happy hormones, so whenever you do something good for others or help others, it releases happy hormones in your mind by boosting your serotonin, the neurotransmitter is responsible for feelings of well-being and satisfaction.

How do you show kindness in everyday life?

You can show kindness to others in your everyday life by offering them a helping hand, staying connected, and being a good listener. There are several other ways to showcase kindness; to know more about this, refer to the above-given article.