Why is raising kind kids important? Have you ever been around a person who is not kind? Have you ever been around a child who is not kind? There is a go-to question I always ask my family members when they are talking about someone new, especially my children or my younger sister, I always ask is this person kind?
I don’t mean is this person nice on the surface. I mean does this person have a kind heart? Because when a person has a kind heart then there is a joy to be around. You feel comfortable with them. When a child is kind then you can expect them to be kind almost everybody. The world needs more kind people.
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What is the Difference Between Kindness and Being Nice?
Kindness is the trait of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Being nice is being agreeable, satisfactory, and pleasant.
A person can be nice without being kind. A person can be pleasant to be around but not generous or friendly. I would rather raise children who are kind-hearted to everyone than raise nice kids. Of course, I want my child to be nice and pleasant to other people. However, being a generous person friendly and considerate is extremely important in today’s society. Because it means you are putting a person’s feelings and needs first when you’re being considerate and thinking about them and not you.
What Does it Mean to Raise a Kind Kid?
When you raise a kind kid you’re raising a child who is thinking outside of themselves and thinking more about the people around them. Kind kids are more helpful, friendly, and more pleasant to be around.
Teaching your child to think outside of themselves is extremely important in raising kind adults.
7 Tips for Raising Kind Kids
Be an Example Yourself and Start in the Family Walls
First and foremost, to raise kind kids you have to be a kind person yourself. Children learn from what they see. They see their mom or dad being a kind person outside of themselves then they will start practicing that consideration as well. If they see their mom and dad being unkind, they will pick up those bad habits as well. That means you need to start with the people inside your four walls. Your spouse, your children, and yourself.
Use a Kindness Jar in Your Home
A kindness jar is very simple. We made one several years ago and what you do is you just put opportunities inside the kindness jar for you to show kindness to other people outside of your home as a family.
Insist on Respectfulness
When you are raising your kid, insist on manners and respectfulness when they interact with others.
Teach your child to think outside of themselves when they’re interacting with other people. You can teach respect for those around them and also teach boundaries. Help your child learn to notice other people that are around them. An example would be noticing an elderly woman behind you entering the grocery store and asking your child to hold the door open for this lady so that she doesn’t have to do it. Or saying hey your mom is struggling to bring in the groceries let’s go help her. Or saying hey your grandma just cooked a meal for you let’s help her clean up the kitchen. These are great opportunities to show each other how to be respectful and considerate to others around them.
Make Caring for Others a Priority
If you know there is somebody around, you that has a need, it is a great opportunity to show your child how to care for this person. It could be a simple is creating a meal basket or caring for a sick relative. When we include our children in helping us, they will learn basic respectfulness in consideration skills.
Create Moments Where Your Child is Thinking of Someone Else- Not Themselves
Be mindful and notice situations where your child is interacting with other people and create moments where they could be thinking about someone else inside that circle beside them. For example, say your child is playing with their brother and sister and you notice that their brother is really wanting a turn with a certain toy. Encourage your child to think about how their brother is feeling, hey sis I really think you’re a little brother would like a turn, what do you think? You don’t have to tell them to share but you could introduce the concept by asking them to think about the other person and their feelings.
Teach Them to Put Themselves in Someone Else’s Shoes
This goes along with thinking about other people. Teach them to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. If your child comes home and starts talking about a classmate and notice something different about them ask your child to think about how the other person is feeling. For example, say your child’s group of friends has been making fun of another little kid at school ask your child how they think that this person might be feeling by being picked on? This teaches your child empathy and how to think about another person they come across.
Be Relentless and Intentional When You See Moments Arise
When you see moments of rise try not to let them pass up. It’s normal that certain moments pass by but be intentional and relentless with noticing moments that are teachable with your children.
Raising Kind Kids Should be a Priority as a Parent
In today’s society we were so divided it’s important to be raising kind children who can be empathetic and considerate of other people, even if they have different opinions or thoughts or ideas than them. Raising kind kids should be and can be a priority with a little bit of intentional work on our part.
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