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“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain
Holding a door open. Giving up your seat for someone. Offering someone a helping hand. Is it human nature, or do we have to teach our children to be kind?
In honor of February 17th, National Random Acts of Kindness Day, let’s follow these simple steps to encourage our children to master the incredibly important skill called kindness:
- Teach them the true meaning of kindness. The word kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. Discuss and role-play with your children what it actually means to be friendly, to be generous, and to be considerate. Find teachable moments. For example, maybe it is teaching your child to share a cookie with a sibling that dropped his cookie on a dirty floor. Or perhaps it is helping mom clean the house before you have guests. The idea is to teach them that every little kind gesture is thoughtful and meaningful.
- Model kindness – They say that kindness leads to more kindness. As parents, model kindness and respect so our children will follow suit. For example, if we use our smile a lot, chances are our children will learn to smile. If we offer lending hands, our children will be more likely to be helpful to others. The possibilities are endless.
- Practice Kindness – The more you practice this skill as a family, the more your children will become masters of the art of kindness. Encourage your children to practice random acts of kindness that might seem small but can mean so much.
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- Give a nice compliment.
- Say “Hello” to someone new.
- Clean up after someone else.
- Send a thank you note to someone special.
- Help someone before they ask you.
- Let someone go before you in line.
Aesop said it best, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Today I encourage you all to print out our Act of Kindness Game Challenge – fun simple steps to practice the art of kindness. Good luck!
Always remember to play it SMART! For more tips and tricks, please visit our website http://www.thesmartplaybook.com.
All the best,
