The dictionary reminds us that Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

On the other hand however, depending on our culture and education, Kindness can mean different things to different people. Kindness can be shown as being helpful or empathetic. For some people it could mean doing nice things without expecting anything in return. Being kind goes hand in hand with feelings such as compassion and understanding. One small act of kindness can have a huge positive impact on the entire community. Imagine a world focused on being kind; this means teaching Kindness from the very first day of learning is essential, as it encourages people to be more approachable and understanding. Kindness stems from love which has always been an important component of creating society. This is an important trait of our society and we have to promote and teach our children from the very beginning.

Children observe the kind of behavior around them and start to copy it.

This emphasizes the fact that Kindness is taught through mirroring. Kindness can be taught in a variety of different ways but they all include behavior. Children are impressionable and very likely to observe and simulate the behavior they see around them. This is why we as adults must strive to ensure that they we practice Kindness through our behavior, so that they will too.

Children can be taught Kindness through activities such as sharing, being polite and nice to one another, through appreciation or compassionate conversations, through hugs and last but not least through play.

This is all very good, but the most important piece is teaching children that mistakes occur and that this is normal as we all make them. It is very important to teach children to respond with Kindness to their own mistakes, so that they learn how to forgive. In this way by being kind, people are rewarded with Kindness in return, not to mention the blissful feeling of spreading happiness. Treating others with Kindness is extremely important, especially nowadays. We see enough instances of hate and violence. By actively teaching the children of the world the gentle act of Kindness, we are essentially creating future generations with the ability to be compassionate and with the ability to move ahead in life with love.

One last note, always keep in mind that nobody is perfect and that we should also be kind to ourselves!

Evgenia Videnmaier-Zink