World Kindness Day: Teach kids to be empathetic and kind

World Kindness Day is observed on November 13 every year. The day was first established in 1998 by the World Kindness movement—a coalition of kindness NGOs. Many leading countries including Australia, Canada, Italy, India, UK and USA are part of the group that celebrates the day. The idea behind the celebration of this day is to highlight the goodness in the community and focus on positives that exists. The belief behind this day is that kindness is the thread that binds all of us together. The leaders of the coalition believe that kindness is important for it’s the only trait that bridges people across sex, religion, caste, gender and politics.

As we celebrate World Kindness Day today, let’s focus on one of the most important aspects of the future of our country—children. There’s a dire need to bring up children who know and understand the value of empathy and kindness towards one another. Why is important? Look at the world around, it’s burning with hatred and violence. We need to tell our kids that it’s still a beautiful world to live in. The first learning for children starts at home. Here’s why and how parents should teach kindness to children by being a role model.

Kindness—Why it’s important?

According to the studies, there’s an increase in the number of children diagnosed with mental health issues like anxiety, depression and stress. Even before facing the real world and its struggles, young ones fall prey to extreme mental health issues. Experts believe that small acts of kindness can make a huge difference. Science says that kindness is contagious; the happiness it generates encourages people to do more kind acts.

Importance of kindness—science-backed reason

The reason behind it is that the happy and good feeling experienced with an act of kindness is because it releases endorphins in body. This hormone activates parts of brain responsible for pleasure, joy and happiness. The release of this hormone also helps building trust and social connections. These are the reasons why it’s important to exhibit and experience kindness.

Kindness helps raise happy children

It’s a happy feeling for both giver and recipient. If you, as a parent, show kindness towards children, they’ll get happy and encouraged to explore it further. The cycle continues, bringing in more happiness and satisfaction.

Learning kindness can bring down bullying

In schools, communities and localities, many children suffer the ills of bullying. Where a child is a bully or being bullied, his mental health gets scared for life. Now infuse the idea of ‘being kind to one another’ in this scenario, don’t you feel the things can change? A kind soul cannot bully and the one bullied can probably empathise with the compromised state of mind of the bully.

Kindness promotes better health

Surprised? Don’t be, we can give you the technicalities too. A single act of kindness can stimulate serotonin production in body, a hormone that’s responsible for mood, sleep, digestion, improved learning and memory. It also stimulates oxytocin hormone in body which regulates blood pressure, reduces stress and free radicals in body.

How parents can teach kindness to children?

Knowing why it is important is not enough unless you are able to instil the trait in your growing child. The idea is to be a right role model for him. As said, kindness can’t be taught as a learning session, it’s to be demonstrated with real life examples and experiences. Are you kind enough to show the right path to your child?

Show kindness

Lead by example, make sure your child has enough instances in front of him of you being kind to others or to him. Create an atmosphere in family where being kind is a norm. Help your neighbour, friend, or a stranger in need and make sure your child sees it. You may also quote instances of kindness. In case they are going through a mental turmoil, see if it’s possible to share a related experience with them.

Praise children for their kind acts

It’s not mandatory but important to tell children that good work never goes unnoticed. To acknowledge, you may just tell them that ‘The neighbour was really happy when you offered her water’ or ‘Your grandmother was impressed when you held the door for her while she was entering.’ Another activity that you can do with them is asking them what kind act they want to do in class. See what ideas they come up with and encourage them for the good ones.

Involve them in kind acts

Encourage them to help you when you are doing something or when you are planning to go and help someone. This might not always be possible but do it whenever you can. It’s only to show them that being kind is a normal functioning the family swears by.

Create a positive environment

Positive environments boost kindness. Make sure you tell your child how much you love them and appreciate them for who they are. Be honest about your feeling, find time for them despite being busy. All these factors help build a positive environment at home. Negativity bring out mean and rude behaviours.

Published : November 13, 2019 12:00 pm

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World Kindness Day: Teach kids to be empathetic and kind

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World Kindness Day: Teach kids to be empathetic and kind

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