Raising Kind Kids
Here at Kindhood, we're always thinking about impact, and we know that as parents and humans, you are too. Parenting is so much about how our behaviors and actions impact each other; we bet that you, like us, often think, "how will this
example or these words or this habit that I am practicing and instilling shape and impact my child?".
We are right there with you in knowing that our values are the foundation of the life we're building for our kids, and that living by example is one of the best and proven ways to teach the kiddos the values and skills we want to impart!
With that, here are somethings we like to implement as simple yet powerful impact on the world around them:
1. Practicing honesty with compassion
Kids are already so great at saying it like it is; and this is a skill! One we tend to lose as we get older, and become very good at people pleasing, or wanting to manage how others view us. Instead of teaching our kids how to say what we want others to hear, we ground them in kindness and courage when we model for them how to speak truthfully while showing others compassion and intention with our words.
A great place to start is in the home, with our partners, family, and friends. We led with a big one, because it really is so foundational. This may feel overwhelming and out of our grasp as entrenched adult humans trying to make it in a career or socially. Take the long view and try a little bit each day, we are all learning together!
2. Gratitude practice
The science is in, when we practice being grateful actively, our mental health improves, how we feel about ourselves improves, how we treat ourselves improves, and how we treat others improves too. This is crucial for teaching and modeling kindness for our kiddos!
3. Cleaning our space
We love to use simple tidying and cleaning up after ourselves as a way to model and teach social values--including instilling a sense of control over self (really the only control we have!) and a sense of self awareness so that our kids are aware of the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Picking up after ourselves is kind!
4. Listening with hearts AND ears!
Active listening is in great demand, and the empathy your kids will learn and practice when they learn active listening is hard to overexaggerate! We all know how amazing it feels to be listened to; and in contrast, how yucky it feels when those we are communicating with aren't communicating back. This is a tough one to stick with, yet the results are deeply meaningful. So, we're here, working on setting our phones down a little quicker and longer each day, making eye contact, and really focusing on what our kids are saying, trying to show up for them a little kinder every day. It's a process, and we're in it together!
Have more ways you're practicing and modeling kindness for your kids? Share in the comments, we need all the diverse images and practices of kindness!
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