“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” ~ Dalai Lama XIV
The most memorable students in my primary school classes were kind. They spoke kind words and behaved kindly toward others. Kindness is a quality that teachers savor. Imagine a class where children get along, respect each other, and happily follow class routines. Then the teacher can dedicate more time to developing their skills, instilling a love of learning, and teaching new concepts.
Now, as a mother, I have been thinking of ways to teach kindness to my daughter so that she can go to school in September as a respectful and kind class member. I’m not worried about her academics, but I do hope that she can begin to see herself as a part of a class community, develop positive social skills, and gain a healthy sense of self.
Forty ways that you can support your child to be kind to themselves, others, animals, and the environment:
Acts of Kindness to Yourself
- Eat healthy, whole foods with your child.
- Drink lots of water. Carry re-fillable water bottles everywhere you go.
- Make a practice of sitting quietly once a day and taking a few deep breaths. Make sleep a priority.
- Read books on self-esteem, love, and happiness.
- Make a poster with reminders of ways to be kind to yourself.
- Model an active lifestyle by exercising with your child.
- Balance your days with active experiences and downtime.
- Give your child plenty of time to explore and discover his or her own interests.
- Teach your child to manage destructive feelings by stopping, taking a deep breath, and counting to five.
- Help your child to identify his or her feelings and help to build self-confidence.
Links above thanks to Washington Post.
Acts of Kindness to Others
- Model daily kind and respectful behavior by showing up on time for commitments, helping a neighbor with yard work, or opening the door for others.
- Encourage kind behavior at school by talking to your children about being kind to a new child in class or sharing their things with another child.
- Make a gift and give to a community worker who helps your family, like the mail carrier, nurse, shop owner, or fire fighter.
- Do a service project with your child, like serving food at your local community organization, organizing food cans at a food drive, or collecting toys for kids at Christmas.
- Make a video showing different ways that we can be kind to each other.
- Give your children space to discover the joy of being kind. Let them experience the positive response from a stranger when they do something kind.
- Take time to clean up the space around you. Put away the books in the library, take a few shopping carts back to the grocery store, or pick up garbage at the park.
- Make a Kindness Jar by placing a kindness jewel into the jar every time that someone says a kind word.
- Find a pen pal in a different country.
- Create Kindness Coupons they can share with their friends.
- Read children’s books that teach acceptance and compassion. Talk about ways that the moral of the stories can apply to their lives.
- Talk about and encourage words and phrases that are kind to say to others.
- Make a Hug Jar and have your children give you a heart from the jar to signal that they need a hug.
- Write uplifting messaging on rocks and leave them outside for others to see.
- Gather up toys and books to give to another child to enjoy.
- Pick a random act of kindness to do with your family every month.
- Do as many giving projects as you can for $20, like donating clothing, baking cookies, or writing thank you cards.
- Send thank you notes every week.
- Praise out-of-the-ordinary kind behavior.
- Have dinner together as a family and express gratitude and kindness to each other.
Links above thanks to Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes, Carrots are Orange, JDaniel4’s Mom, Real Life at Home, Playtivities, Homegrown Friends, Imagination Soup, Me Plus 3 Today, B Photo Art, All Done Monkey, and Kids Activities Blog.
Acts of Kindness to Animals and the Environment
- Read books that celebrate the earth.
- Shop at farmer’s markets and make a conscious decision to eat locally.
- Reduce your use of plastic.
- Join your classroom teacher in creating service projects, like setting up a recycling system, planting a garden, or sponsoring an animal at the zoo.
- Choose to eat a vegetarian diet.
- Grow a garden or plant a tree.
- Let your children see your enthusiasm for being and working in the outdoors.
- Organize a local park or beach garbage pickup.
- Save water in your home and garden.
- Sponsor an organization that rescues or cares for your child’s favorite animal.
Links above thanks to Allernative Learning, Mud Hut Mama, Moments a Day, Mommy Loves Trees, and Playdough to Plato.
What is one act of kindness you can do with your child today?
Happiness Yoga Book for Kids
You might enjoy award-winning Anna and her Rainbow-Colored Yoga Mats – a yoga book about friendship, and acceptance, and happiness:
“Anna and her Rainbow-Colored Yoga Mats is for young and old alike! Your kids will love traveling with Anna through a safari desert, the pyramids of the desert, through the waters of the world’s oceans – and more! It’s a beautifully told story with beautiful watercolor-like illustrations. Anna and her rainbow-colored yoga mats teach a story of acceptance, friendship, and being happy with yourself – being yourself – in your own space.”
Lisa N.
Anna and her Rainbow-Colored Yoga Mats
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Other Back to School Resources
Welcome to the Annual Back to School with Kid Blogger Network Linky Party featuring activities, crafts, supply ideas, recipes, organization, books and MORE to get your family ready for the upcoming school year. Link up your kid-friendly posts to have them featured on 35 blogs who are members of the Kid Blogger Network. We invite you to visit a few posts from participants, leave a comment, and share on social media. Thank you so much for sharing your Back to School Resources!
*By linking up, you agree to have your images shared with credit.
Participating Kid Bloggers:
All Done Monkey
Artsy Momma
Creekside Learning
Crystal’s Tiny Treasures
Fun-A-Day!
Fun Handprint Art
Growing Book by Book
In The Playroom
Inspiration Laboratories
Inspiring NH Kids
Kids Yoga Stories
Lalymom
Learning to Walk
Lemon Lime Adventures
Life Over C’s
Line upon Line Learning
Little Bins For Little Hands
Living Montessori Now
Look! We’re Learning!
Mama Smiles
Multicultural Kids Blogs
Planet Smarty Pants
Preschool Powol Packets
She Lives Free
Still Playing School
The Connection We Share
The Jenny Evolution
The Pleasantest Thing
This Reading Mama
Toddler Approved
True Aim Education
3 Dinosaurs
Back to School Giveaway
We’re excited to announce a Back to School Giveaway for you to enter to WIN! The prizes are sponsored by Safari Ltd, Melissa and Doug, Trunki, Elmer’s Glue, Discount School Supplies, Squeazy Gear. Plus Gift Certificates were donated for Printable Packets and/or eBooks from The Educators’ Spin On It , 3 Dinosaurs, Preschool Powol Packets, Look! We’re Learning, This Reading Mama, & Life Over C’s.
I love getting back into a schedule- I feel like summer is so chaotic because the lack of strict schedule. I do love the extra time with the kiddo though!
I know, right?! We love the kiddos home, but back to school is fun too.
We love back to school at our house. We homeschool so it means a normal schedule again.
Totally agree, Tiffany. When do you officially start your homeschool program again?
My daughter will be going to kindergarten this month. She’s so excited, and I’m freaking out… We’re going to pick out her backpack this week!
So true, Amy. Kindergarten is hard for kids AND parents. I experienced that as a Kindergarten teacher too! Your feelings are totally valid. Hang in there.
We will be starting homeschool with our kindergartener this year! So exciting!
Yay, very exciting Britney!
Thank you for all of your fabulous comments on integrating yoga in your classroom, managing the stresses of back to school, and ways to teach kindness. I appreciate your thoughts! Giselle
I love the kindness rocks idea. We are almost done with summer programs but I may try to add it as a special. I am planning on using Yoga Stories this fall with our preschool program.
I love back to school with the fresh new school supplies, the excitement to learn new things and make new friends, & the cooler weather of Fall 🙂
My son likes to show others what he is doing and teach them what he is learning so we are looking forward to this school year. Thank you for the information that you give us.
Back to school is stressful! Wish summer could go on a few more months at least.
I also love the kindness rocks idea! We are starting school next week and my girls are so very excited. They have even put themselves on their own schedule to get ready for school. Going to bed early and getting up earlier. They have been sharing books with each other and love to stretch before bed.
I love back to school time. The kids are filled with excitement and joy. Thank you for the ideas of cultivating kindness in our children.
I think that writing letters is a great way to show kindness. Especially because letter writing now seems so archaic. Even a simple three sentences that are heart felt can really make another person feel truly appreciated and loved.
I love Back To School time… probably because of the shopping it involves! lol This is our first year one of our kids will be going to school (usually its just my husband going to college). Its completely nerve wracking and I have mixed feelings. lol
I would love to do more yoga in my classroom!
I’m so excited for back to school just for all the new learning that is going to happen this year. We are learning to read!
I love the idea of incorporating yoga in the classroom. I bet it would help everyone to focus.
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
i love and hate back to school time. i love shopping for back to school but i hate knowing my kids will be gone for part of the day now:/
These are really great ideas!