5 Ways to Raise Kind-Hearted Kids
How do we raise a kind-hearted child? Kind-heartedness and empathy are traits that can be cultivated. But it was my son and his friends who helped me recognize that the best way to nurture kind-heartedness are always real, meaningful, face to face experiences.
Several years ago, our youngest son brought home a note from his teacher asking for parent volunteers to chaperone a class field trip. I had no idea that the experience would help my child and his friends become kind-hearted, and it was all because my son’s teacher, Cindy Hollinger, was encouraging her students to give up their Saturday morning to participate in a race called “Lauren’s Run” sponsored by the City of Hope.
The event was held in the memory of Lauren Zagoria, a three-year old child who recently died from cancer. Each racer would pay an entrance fee of a few dollars, and all the profits would go to pediatric cancer research. Volunteering to drive to that event was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made.
As we drove into the parking lot, each child was met by an adult volunteer who thanked them for taking time to help children with cancer get better. I watched children’s faces brighten as they recognized their efforts were appreciated and respected. I wished more children could have shared the experience.
The race was held and the children ran, trophies were awarded, a beautiful brunch was served, and all the children were thanked again for their time. Listening to my young passenger’s conversation on the drive home was the greatest affirmation on why adults should encourage kids to serve others.
“It was fun,” they said, “because we helped Lauren.”
Another child expressed everyone’s sentiments that day: “Maybe now other kids won’t have to feel so sad and hurt so much.”
Before they arrived back home, they’d all pledged to run again next year, and they did.
Those children exemplified what it means to be kind-hearted and to have empathy. That day they were able to put themselves in Lauren’s shoes and imagine how she felt. That day, the students ran not for themselves, but to help Lauren. And, that day they won the best kind of victory: the triumph of knowing that their kind-hearted actions can make a difference.
Helping our children appreciate other people’s feelings and needs cannot be taught in a few short lessons. Your child gradually moves from his egocentric “always thinking about me” perspective to one in which he not only cares about the other person, but can feel and understand the other person’s point of view. And you can help stretch perspective taking, empathy with these five secrets to raise heart-hearted kids.
5 Secrets That Raise Kind-Hearted Kids
Research tells us empathy is a trait we can develop in our kids. Here are a few simple secrets to help your child learn to feel for the views of others, develop a strong, caring mindset.
1. Point Out Other People’s Feelings
Point out the facial expressions, posture and mannerisms of people in different emotional states as well as their predicaments is beneficial: it helps your child tune into other people’s feelings. As occasions arise, explain your concern and what clues helped you make your feeling assessment: “Did you notice Sally’s face when you were playing today? I was concerned because she seemed worried about something. Maybe you should talk to her to see if she’s okay.”
2.Switch Roles to Feel The Other Side
Michael was a special education student of mine who had difficulty understanding anyone else’s feelings but his own. One day he hurt another student’s feelings with his teasing, but I just couldn’t get him to understand how sad he’d made the other child. I spotted a wire hanger on the floor, quickly bent it into a large circle shape and improvised:
“Michael, stick your head through the hole and pretend you’re Stevie and feel just like Stevie feels. I’ll be Michael. ‘I started the role play: Stevie, your haircut makes you look dumb.’ How do you feel, Stevie?”
By making Michael switch places and pretend to be Stevie he finally understood Stevie’s hurt. I used a wire hanger as a prop for Michael to use in role playing the other child’s point of view.
You can help your young child act out the other person’s perspective using puppets, dolls, or even toy action figures. As kids get older you can just ask, “Switch places and take the other person’s side. How would you feel if you were in her place?
3. Imagine Someone’s Feelings
One way to help your child connect with the feelings of others is to have her imagine how the other person feels about a special situation. Suppose your child just wrote a get well card to her Grandma. Use the moment to help her recognize her grandmother’s reaction when she receives the card by pretending she’s the other person. “Imagine you’re Grandma right now. You walk to the mailbox, and when you open it you find this letter. How will you feel?”
You later can expand the imagination game to include people your child has not personally met: “Imagine you’re a new student and you’re walking into a brand new school and don’t know anyone. How will you feel?”
Asking often, “How would you feel?” helps kids understand the feelings and needs of other people.
4. Be the Example You Want Your Kid To Become
Kids don’t learn to be caring, kind and compassionate just by us telling them about it. They learn it best through our own example. Every week or so, you might stop and ask yourself, “What deeds have I done this week that show my kids I value caring? How am I helping my child become kind-hearted?
Opportunities are endless: take a batch of cookies to the new neighbor, deliver old toys to the fire department that can be distributed to needy children, coach a sport to a group of kids, be a room parent in a classroom, bring a bowl of soup or a ready-made dinner to a sick friend, or make or purchase a baby blanket to bring to a family shelter. And always ask your child to accompany you on your missions of caring.
Helping a child recognize the impact of kindness is a fabulous way to convey to our kids that caring is important to us and can make our world a better place.
5. Use Moral Discipline
Martin Hoffman, a world-renown researcher from the University of Michigan, aimed one of his most influential studies on empathetic children. He wanted to determine the type of discipline their parents most frequently used with their children, and the finding was clear.
The most common discipline technique parents of highly considerate children use is reasoning with them about their uncaring behavior.
Their parents’ reasoning lessons helped sensitize their children to the feelings of others, and realize how their actions may affect others. It’s an important parenting point to keep in mind in those moments when we confront our own kids for any uncaring deed.
Final Thoughts
Today more than ever, as our kids are often exposed to an unsetting world of violence, bullying and insensitivity, we must emphasize empathy. (Hint: please do watch your child’s media diet!) I’m convinced that understanding how someone else feels may well be the antidote that will help our children live in a more tolerant world and stop violence and peer cruelty.
The best news is that empathy and kind-heartedness can be cultivated in our children. What better legacy to give your child: the gift of a strong and caring heart that you have nurtured? It’s a gift that will keep on giving—your children will pass on to their children-and to theirs. And you’ve touched eternity.
Here’s to Kind-Hearted kids!
Dr. Michele Borba
I am an educational psychologist, parenting expert, TODAY show contributor and author of 22 books.
The ideas and story in this post are adapted from my book, UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All About Me World. It describes how to cultivate the Nine Crucial Habits of Empathy, and offers 300 strategies parents and teachers can use from toddlers to teens to do so. Chapter 6 is all about how to help children learn and practice kindness!
And coming March 2 is my new book: Thriver: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine. I combed scientific studies on resilience, spoke to dozens of researchers/experts in the field and interviewed more than 100 young people from all walks of life, and found something surprising: the difference between those who struggle and those who succeed comes down not to grades or test scores, but to seven character traits that set Thrivers apart (and set them up for happiness and greater accomplishment later in life). And the best news: they all are teachable! The book is filled with practical, evidence-based ways to help us raise kids who are strong in heart, mind and will.