As a parent, you can easily get caught up in keeping your child’s education up to the mark that you can easily forget about teaching your child certain valuable lessons and morals that can do more than just help them get by in life.
Inculcating valuable qualities like kindness can help your child become a confident, humble, and empathetic individual.
But, most parents consider teaching acts of kindness to their children might hinder their chances of succeeding in the competitive world.
Every parent wants their child to lead a life where they can make a positive impact on someone else’s life.
Whether it be a smile, a compliment, a hand for help, or a hug every child deserves to learn about such acts of kindness that can make anyone’s day.
Here are some acts of kindness every parent should teach their children to help them become well-rounded, down-to-earth, and humble individuals.
Why teaching Kindness to Children is Important?
It is important for parents and teachers to understand the necessity of inculcating values of kindness in young and impressionable children.
These acts of kindness cannot be taught to children through a textbook or lectures but by actions and activities.
1. Happiness:
Acts of Kindness not only make the receiver happy but also the giver. When children comprehend that kindness can make them and others around them happy, they are more likely to indulge in such acts again.
While performing acts of kindness, the brain releases endorphins, chemicals that are responsible for making an individual feel pleasure, happiness, and trust.
2. No Bullying:
When taught about the value of kindness, children are able to distinguish between hurtful acts and acts of kindness.
Acts of Kindness can encourage as well as promote children to lift each other up, support each other, and help each other in times of need instead of bullying weaker children.
3. Improves Health:
When we practice random acts of kindness the production of the hormone oxytocin accelerates in the body.
These hormones help with regulating blood pressure, reducing stress, as well as decreasing inflammation.
Hence, by practicing such acts the body can undergo positive mental and physical changes due to the production of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
4. Helps with Concentration:
Acts of kindness can stimulate and accelerate the production of the hormone serotonin in the individual’s body.
The hormone serotonin helps with essential day-to-day activities like sleeping, learning, mood, memory, and digestion.
The accelerated levels of serotonin promote children to become calmer and improve their concentration.
Hence acts of kindness can help children improve their physical as well as academic performances.
9 Acts of kindness that can inspire your child:
As a parent, teacher, or immediate caregiver you are the role model for your child, hence it is best to perform acts of kindness for the child.
Since acts of kindness cannot be inculcated in children through books, classroom sessions, or lectures teachers and parents have to encourage children to participate in certain acts of kindness.
Here is a list of interesting activities that will inspire your child to indulge in acts of kindness:
1. Taking Care of Animals:
Children are highly active when participating in acts of kindness that involve animals.
Parents or teachers can promote children to perform the following activities:
- Take the child to an animal shelter that allows children. You can ask the child to perform and assist in simple chores, donate to the shelter, and feed the animals.
- You can ask a consenting dog owner to allow your child to voluntarily walk their pet dog or take care of their dog when the owner is out of town.
- You can ask the child to pick out exciting treats and toys for a household pet.
2. Write down Thankyou notes:
You can encourage your child to thank important people in their life by writing down simple thank you.
This is not a way to force your child to thank people, but an activity that will bring joy to your child and the recipient alike.
You can point out people to the child who works behind the scenes to make the child’s life better.
Children can write personalized notes for their pediatrician, hairdressers, teachers, and other contributing members in their lives.
3. Donating Food to Food drives:
Donating food to others can be an exceptionally fulfilling act of kindness to participate in for the child.
You can collaborate with the child and jot down required food items you can donate to your local food bank or food drive.
4. Donate to people in need:
Just like donating food to food drives, donating items like clothing, toys, or books can bring a sense of fulfillment to the child’s heart.
During vacations or weekends ask the child to filter and collect old items they would want to donate to a charity.
Here are some ideas that might encourage the child to donate items:
- Collect old toys, dolls, and comic books and give them to an orphanage or a children’s hospital, a homeless shelter, or a domestic violence shelter.
- You can ask your child to pick out clothing that they would like to donate to another child in need.
- Ask the child to participate in preparing meals and give them to your relatives, family members, and friends.
- Children can also donate used books or comics to the nearest charity or library.
5. Compliment cards:
Compliment cards are a creative way of making others feel great about themselves and brightening up their day.
Prepare some compliment cards that have messages like “you are amazing” or “you are special” written on them.
When heading out to run errands ask the child to hand out these cards to people walking by to help them feel happy.
6. Doing chores for other people:
You can ask your child to assist neighbors, relatives, or family friends in doing simple chores.
- Children can rake the leaves in the yard, mow the lawn, and cut grass.
- You can ask children to visit their grandparents to assist them with simple day-to-day chores.
7. Pick up the litter:
When you and your younger companion are out for another stroll, you and your child can pick up a few items of litter and discard them in a garbage bin.
It can be a great time to explain to them the importance of cleanliness and spark up a conversation about environmental conservation.
8. Promote the child to encourage others:
Words of encouragement can go a long way. You can demonstrate words of encouragement by telling your child how great they are or by spilling notes that will lift up their spirits.
9. Cheer up other people:
Lastly, encourage the child to keep everyone around them happy, cheerful, and in utmost glee. Promote the child to spend time with people who might need their positive company.