Kindness is an abstract concept that describes doing good deeds through having a friendly, considerate, and generous nature. In its most condensed form, it is a way of showing love to the people around you.
Spreading kindness has become such an important part of life that we have an official day for it. Random Acts of Kindness Day began in New Zealand in 2004 and has rapidly spread throughout the world with its universal message of positivity. It falls on February 17 annually in the U.S. and encourages kids and adults alike to be compassionate and spread kindness wherever possible.
Kindness Synonyms
Because it is such an abstract concept, many other words can be used to describe kindness that your kids might be familiar with already. Try teaching them to your class or using them to create a display board or kindness wall in your classroom:
| Empathy | Benevolence | Goodwill | Consideration |
| Generosity | Altruism | Charity | Sympathy |
| Philanthropy | Tact | Goodness | Hospitality |
What is Kindness for Kids?
Teaching kindness to kids can be difficult both to teach and to understand, especially if your kids are on the younger side. Egocentrism is normal for young children, who have yet to learn that the world does not revolve around them. Empathy develops over time, usually starting at around two years old when toddlers begin to understand that other people have different thoughts and feelings from theirs. At this age, they may try to soothe their sibling’s pain or comfort a friend when upset. However, they don’t have the cognitive skills to fully unpack and understand empathy until they reach age 8-9. The heart is a work in progress that must be reinforced at home and in the classroom for kindness to become natural.
How to Teach Kindness
It is not as easy to teach empathy as you would a mathematical concept or literacy lesson. Unfortunately, there are no step-by-step guides on teaching kindness. The most effective way of teaching service for kids is to emulate and reinforce it repeatedly until the heart becomes the norm and they can choose compassion for themselves without being led or prompted.
Here is some advice for encouraging empathy in the classroom:
Walk the Walk, and Talk the Talk
Between the age of 12 months and 18 months, children start a process called “social referencing,” where they look to their parent or caregiver’s tone, expressions, body language, and actions for clues on how to react in a social situation. Young children learn social skills by watching, processing, and emulating the actions of those around them. If a child does not have a kind role model, it may not be easy to teach them kindness in other ways.
Children need to witness kind and charitable behavior from the adults in their lives that they love and respect. Make sure you and your colleagues interact positively around your class and do not engage in jibes or gossip. Share with others, encourage sharing, and reward kind behavior when you see it; you will soon see your kids doing the same. It is also beneficial to normalize talking about both positive and negative emotions, giving your kids the verbal tools to express how they are feeling too:
“I feel happy because my students are working so hard!”
“I feel sad because I am missing someone I care about.”
“I feel worried because I have a meeting after school.”
“I feel excited because I’m going to the zoo at the weekend!”
Kind Choices, Unkind Choices
There is no such thing as a “Good Kid” and a “Naughty Kid.” Their choices are not intrinsically linked to their personalities, and any child can make a Kind or Unkind Choice, regardless of their character.
The language we use is the most powerful tool in teaching children right from wrong. If a child in your care does something you consider unkind, it is important to acknowledge that an unfriendly action does not make for a cold child. Some kids may still be refining their empathetic sides, not knowing their decision would have unkind consequences, or let their emotions get the better and lash out with behavior that shouldn’t be encouraged.
Teachers and caregivers are responsible for not using language that may be taken to heart. For example, do not label the child as a “Naughty Kid” – they may absorb that and use it to define “naughty” as part of their personality. You do not want them to accept the “naughty kid” label and not even try to be good. Instead, rephrase it to separate the action from the character. The child made an Unkind Choice. They are capable of making Kind Choices too. As an educator, it is up to you to acknowledge and reward the Kind Choices they make to show them the correct route to go down.
