“Like laughter, kindness is a terrific happiness habit, good for both our physical and emotional well-being.” – Christine Carter, Greater Good Magazine
Next week is “Acts of Kindness Week” here at Kids ‘R’ Kids Avalon Park. We’ll be putting kindness into action with the children at our Childcare Center leading up to the Valentine’s Day Party on Friday, February 14th.
Caring for others is a valuable quality that we all hope our children have. But being kind isn’t second nature. Children are naturally blunt, and laser-focused on their own needs and wants. They need a guiding hand to help them learn to be generous and considerate of others’ feelings.
Teaching Kindness Is As Important As Reading To Them
Teaching your kids kindness is as important as reading to them. It improves their mental health, physical health, and social connections.
Do you know that researchers have discovered that kindness doesn’t just make the recipient feel good, it makes you feel good too? When you care for others, it makes you feel stronger and more energetic. It improves your immune system and cardiovascular system. It even stimulates serotonin production in your body which plays a role in reducing stress and anxiety. These positive benefits are especially meaningful for children.
The number of kids being diagnosed with anxiety and depression has been increasing rapidly over the last few years. Teaching children to practice kindness decreases their risk of suffering from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Studies have found that teens who are motivated by a desire to help others are more active, engaged and involved than their peers.
Being kind doesn’t only improve children’s mental health, it also improves their relationships with their peers. Children who are considerate of others and do acts of kindness are more included by their peers and have more friends. They are less likely to be bullied or to bully others.
Model Kindness At Home
You can help your children cultivate kindness by modeling it at home. Children are natural imitators. When they see you showing respect to others and lending a helping hand, it motivates them to do the same. Bringing attention to others’ acts of kindness is another way to help your children develop this virtue. Pointing out when people show kindness reinforces the value of caring for others. Practicing kindness with your children helps them to make it a habit. KidsActivities.net has a list of 28 Random Acts of Kindness that you can do with your children.
According to Dr. Ritchie Davidson, practicing kindness is “kind of like weight training, we found that people can build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help.” The more time you spend practicing kindness with your children, the stronger that muscle will grow.
We strive to cultivate the virtue of kindness throughout the year. Focusing on it during “Acts of Kindness Week” at Kids ‘R’ Kids Avalon Park emphasizes the importance of making it a habit. The benefits the children feel from being kind throughout the week make the Valentine’s Day celebration even more enjoyable.
If you would like to learn more about the enriching programs that we’ve developed for children at our Childcare Center, schedule a time to visit!