Teach Our Children Kindness

As all of our children and grandchildren head back to school, they are on their ways to new adventures, new friends, new lessons.  There has been a lot of attention paid to bullying and the effects of bullying, which are all negative.  I wonder if there would be a difference if instead we taught our children about kindness.  I think they probably all know what bullying looks like and what it feels like when they see it or feel it.  But, I wonder how many of those children know what kindness is, what it looks like and what it feels like to see it or feel it.  So often we react and punish only when children are bad, often without explaining to them why they are in trouble or discussing what happened.  Isn't it our responsibility to teach our children the right and kinder things to do?  Isn't it our responsibility to teach our children how to treat everyone with respect and fairness?  Isn't it our responsibility to teach our children by example?  When our children get in trouble, I think it is our responsibility to make sure they understand why they're in trouble and I also think it would serve them best if we help them to think of different ways to stay out of trouble...the kinder way.  Whether kindness to another student, a teacher, a bus driver, a parent, or themselves....I think if we talk about kindness with our children, they will be able to recognize it when they see it and hopefully choose kindness over bullying every time.

Today is sing the ABCs ten times day.