Will Our Children Learn to Be Kind?

     Some times I wonder if our children will learn the importance of kindness and consideration in this era of increased incivility between adults?  Does it seem like adults are conveying the idea that it is really only important to treat a narrow circle of our own friends well while anything goes with everyone else?   At NES, we'd like to help children expand their circle of caring.  This week during Social Emotional Lessons at NES, primary students read about the importance of daily filling the buckets of others with kindness and generated ideas about how they could specifically do that.  Secondary students completed a trust exercise that tested their ability to exhibit kindness to their classmates, and to see if it felt like their classmates "had their backs."

Learning happens best when it is done both at school and at home.  Here are many ways that you can help your child continue to learn about the theme of kindness through Reading About It, Talking About It, and Practicing It.  (ideas adapted from Counselor Chelsey)

READ ABOUT IT!
How Kind!   by Mary Murphy   (primary circle story board book)
The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper (explores the multi-religious, universal message of kindness)
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney  (illustrates that no act of kindness is ever wasted)
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Have you Filled a Bucket Today?   by Carol McCloud
The Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (inspires older children to change the world)

PRACTICE IT! 
Spend time writing encouraging notes to people in your community.  This could be neighbors, police officers, teachers, nursing home residents, fire fighters, next door neighbors.  Have your child go with you to deliver your notes of kindness.  Check out the Random Acts of Kindness organization for more ideas about practicing kindness:  www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

TALK ABOUT IT!
Here are some discussion points to help you talk about kindness and consideration with your child:
** Tell me about a time when someone was kind to you.  How did it make you feel?
** Who is someone in your class you can be kind to?  What could you say or do?
** Do you think you are kind and considerate?  Why or why not?
** What is one way that you were kind toady?
** Tell me about a time when someone was considerate of what you needed or felt?  How did that feel?
** Tell me about a time when someone was not considerate of what you needed or felt?  How did that make you feel?
** What are ways you can be kind to people at home, at school, and in the community?