World Kindness Day: 11 Activities You Can Do with Your Child to Cultivate Kindness
Kindness is a skill that we have to teach our children. Just like we teach them how to ride a bike or how to do addition, they also need direction on how to be thoughtful to others.
While most children have a strong sense of empathy and compassion, kindness is the process of putting those feelings into action. It’s taking our feelings a step further and doing something nice that will make someone else happy.
The best way that children learn this is through practice. We need to work alongside them to help them think of ways to be kind and then follow through with that plan. If you’re needing some more ideas on how to practice kindness with your child, you’re in the right place!
Kindness is a skill that we have to teach our children. Just like we teach them how to ride a bike or how to do addition, they also need direction on how to be thoughtful to others.
While most children have a strong sense of empathy and compassion, kindness is the process of putting those feelings into action. It’s taking our feelings a step further and doing something nice that will make someone else happy.
The best way that children learn this is through practice. We need to work alongside them to help them think of ways to be kind and then follow through with that plan. If you’re needing some more ideas on how to practice kindness with your child, you’re in the right place!
Why Kindness?
We know that kindness makes others feel good, but did you know that it has positive benefits for the giver too?
Kindness improves a person’s physical and mental health.(1) Teaching children kindness sets them up for wellness throughout their life.
There are six main ways that kindness impacts our bodies, generating oxytocin, increasing energy, elevating happiness, extending the lifespan, producing pleasure, and creating serotonin.(2)
Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the love hormone because it generates feelings of love, happiness, and closeness with those around us. It also lowers blood pressure and improves overall heart health. Being kind produces oxytocin in the body.
I think that we can all agree that we’d like a little more energy to get through our day. Participants in one study reported that acts of kindness made them feel more energetic, stronger, and calmer.(3)
Another study showed that those who gave financially to charitable organizations were happier than those who didn’t.(4) Those who volunteered reported lower incidences of heart disease, aches and pains, and premature death.(3)
Brain scans have shown that not only does the brain of the person on the receiving end of an act of kindness light up, but so does that of the giver.(5) Some have labeled this pleasure the ‘helper’s high.’
Finally, kindness produces serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone in the brain that makes us feel calm and happy. It also aids in the healing of wounds.
Kindness Activities to Do with Your Kids
So, now you know all the amazing benefits of kindness. Are you ready for some ideas on how to implement more acts of kindness into your life and your kids’ lives so that everyone can reap these benefits? Here are 11 great ideas!
Volunteer at an animal shelter - Whether it’s just one afternoon a month or twice a week, your local animal shelter could likely use the help. Call and ask if you can help walk animals or help clean around the facility.
Visit the elderly - Your local nursing home would probably love to have some young, friendly faces coming to visit. There may still be some COVID-19 precautions in place, so if you can’t go in person, have your children make cards to send instead.
Join a family fun run that donates the money raised to charity - Exercise, family fun, and doing good all wrapped into one. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Volunteer at a food bank - The local food pantry may need help gathering donations, organizing the shelves, or distributing the food to community members. Call the director and ask where they most need help.
Write a kind note to a friend or family member - We want to speak encouraging and positive affirmation often to our kids. We also want them to learn how to give compliments to others. Let your children pull names out of a hat to decide which family member they’ll write an encouraging letter to.
Draw a picture for your teacher - Encourage your child to draw or color a personalized picture for their teacher. If they’re a bit older, have them add a short note of encouragement as well.
Host a lemonade stand for a local charity - Let your child pick a local charity that they want to raise money for and set up shop! It doesn’t have to be lemonade that they sell. It could be cookies or artwork or anything else they would like to.
Bake treats for local firefighters, police officers, and other first responders - It’s important to recognize the individuals that give so much to keep the community safe. Bake some tasty treats with your child and then deliver them in person to say thank you to the officers.
Donate outgrown clothing or toys - Work with your child to teach them how some of the toys that they no longer play with could bring a lot of joy to another child. Let them pick what they donate so that they understand the importance of giving to others.
Create a compliment board in your home - In a place that everyone sees every day, hang up a whiteboard or corkboard. Keep markers or small pieces of paper nearby and encourage your children to add small compliments to it whenever they feel like it. This is a great way to keep them actively thinking about being kind.
Read books about kindness - Kindness doesn’t always happen overnight. Some children may need more guidance on how to think of acts of kindness and carry them out. There are many great books out there that can give them ideas.
World Kindness Day is coming up on November 13th. That’s a great chance to implement some kindness practices in your life. If you want more resources for World Kindness Day, check out School of Kindness.
Being kind isn’t always the easy option. We know that as adults and our children think it, too. However, it’s still important to strive to be kind, for our own health and the health of those around us. Together, we are all better.
Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on all my latest blog posts. My podcast, Genius Little Minds, is also full of information on child mental health.
References
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness
Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents by Christine Carter Ph.D.
https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/blog/17-activities-kids-practice-kindness-compassion/
https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/kids-kindness-activities
Celebrating World Mental Health Day: Plus 10 Mental Health Tips
October is here and with its arrival comes World Mental Health Day on October 10th.
Have you been curious about where to get resources for World Mental Health Day for your home or classroom? Or are you just looking for tips on how to support your child’s mental well-being?
You’re in the right place! I’ve outlined great answers to both questions below.
October is here and with its arrival comes World Mental Health Day on October 10th.
Have you been curious about where to get resources for World Mental Health Day for your home or classroom? Or are you just looking for tips on how to support your child’s mental well-being?
You’re in the right place! I’ve outlined great answers to both questions below.
What Is World Mental Health Day?
Organizations around the world recognize that meeting mental health needs is just as important as any other need. It’s just as important as food, water, clothing, and shelter. While you can’t always see a child’s poor mental health, it impacts their life in monumental ways.
Because of the magnitude of importance about this topic, there is not just one organization that sponsors events and provides resources for World Mental Health Day. There are a variety to choose from.
Some organizations that you can check out are the United Nations, the Mental Health Foundation, the World Health Organization, and the World Federation For Mental Health. The theme that was chosen this year by the World Federation for Mental Health is ‘Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority.’ It is widely recognized that especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, many people need more mental health support.
Many of these websites provide printable and digital resources that educate on mental health. Some will have guest speakers or will host community events around the globe.
Focusing on mental health is important for everyone in every place. So, no matter where you and your child are, there is sure to be a way that you can learn and grow from World Mental Health Day.
Ways to Help Your Child with Their Mental Health
Beyond just the big event, what are some ways that you can support your child’s mental health every day?
1. Read Books About Identifying Various Emotions
Books can be a great way to start a conversation about what emotions that your child may be feeling. Kids can see how the characters label their emotions and how they cope with them in healthy ways. Many books focus on a specific emotion, so if your child struggles with one emotion, like anger, in particular, there is likely a book out there that you can read together.
2. Help Them Learn how to Relax and Perform Self-care
School, social pressures, and navigating all the challenges of growing up may cause stress in your child. They need to know how to unwind and relax in order to nurture positive mental health.
Help them find relaxing activities that they enjoy like reading, taking a walk, or drawing. They may also find that more strenuous activities like running or playing a sport help clear their mind. It doesn’t really matter what the activity is. They just need a healthy way to recharge.
3. Keep the Line of Communication Open
Ask your child often about their friends, how their school work is going, and what is new in their lives. As you keep track of soccer practices and dance lessons and their favorite lunch, you may think that you know everything about them. However, you may be surprised with what you learn by asking these simple questions.
Staying in tune to our children’s lives helps us be the first to know when something seems amiss or when they may be needing more support. (1) We want our children to feel safe coming to us whenever they have a problem. That is more likely to happen if there’s already a pattern of open communication in place.
4. Model Healthy Coping Skills
It’s easy to feel like we should never be mad, frustrated, or sad around our children. Sometimes we just put on a happy face because it’s easier. Yet, this is not always in our children’s best interest.
It’s good when they see you frustrated in traffic, but you take calming deep breaths. Or maybe they see you upset when your favorite snack is all gone, but then you calmly chose another option. These may seem like really small things, nonetheless, our children are always watching. They are learning coping skills every time they watch you handle your feelings in a productive way.
5. Create Household Routines and Stick to a Sleep Schedule
Children feel more secure and function better when they know what to expect. This is why routines and schedules can be beneficial for children.
A sleep schedule is particularly important because not getting enough high-quality sleep is a risk factor for many mental illnesses.(2) Make sure that your child is getting enough hours of sleep at night and is sleeping soundly.
6. Give Them Encouragement and Support
Remind your child often how proud you are of them. Children need to hear that they are loved and that you are always there for them. It’s important to show this with your actions, but it’s also important to say it with your words.
7. Encourage Daily Movement and Healthy Habits
A healthy body supports a healthy mind. Encourage your child to get their body moving for at least 30 minutes a day. There are lots of fun ways to make this happen. They could do anything from jumping jumps to kicking a ball around the yard to play at the park.
Also, make sure that your child is eating well-balanced meals and getting all the vitamins and nutrients that they need. Healthy food will fuel their mind and body to help them function at 100%.
8. Watch for Changes in Mood or Behavior
Much like we talked about earlier, you want to understand well how your child is feeling on any particular day. Watch for sudden, drastic changes in their moods or behaviors. This could be a sign of an event that needs to be addressed.
You may also notice slow, more permanent changes over time. While kids' personalities change as they grow, this is referring to increased sadness, anxiety, or other negative emotions for extended periods of time. These may be signs of a mental health struggle.
9. Nurture Their Self-esteem
Help your child feel comfortable with who they are. (3) One way to build self-esteem is to give your child the power to make decisions whenever possible. This sense of accomplishment and power to be independent will do wonders for their self-confidence.
10. Get Professional Support if You Need it
It’s never too early or too late to reach out for help. If you feel like you can’t give your child all of the support that they need, consider talking with a mental health professional. Therapy can be incredibly beneficial not just after the onset of mental illness but even before. A therapist will be able to give you strategies and tips for preventing your child from slipping further into poor mental health.
Now, these tips don’t just apply to children. They are good mental health practices for anyone. We all need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. In the same way, World Mental Health Day can be beneficial for anyone. So, let’s go take care of our mental health!
For more information on child mental health, be sure to check out my podcast, Genius Little Minds, and subscribe to my newsletter.
References
Two Mental Health Events With a Common Thread: Friendship and Connection
Our children’s mental health and our own mental health can feel like topics difficult to tackle. Being equipped with the right knowledge, however, can make all the difference.
Mental health events can do exactly this. They often have speakers, online forums, and other resources to help make difficult topics easier to understand and talk about. A theme often ties the event together to focus on one area of mental health.
Both events that are happening in May very fittingly chose to focus on connection and friendship.
Our children’s mental health and our own mental health can feel like topics difficult to tackle. Being equipped with the right knowledge, however, can make all the difference.
Mental health events can do exactly this. They often have speakers, online forums, and other resources to help make difficult topics easier to understand and talk about. A theme often ties the event together to focus on one area of mental health.
Both events that are happening in May very fittingly chose to focus on connection and friendship.
US Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week
This week-long event will be celebrated in the United States from May 1st to the 5th. The Youth Mental Health Project heads this event and offers up online events to educate on children’s mental health. These events can be attended by teachers, parents, and friends alike from anywhere in the world.
To learn more about the events during Children’s Mental Health Week visit: https://ymhproject.org/cmhaweek/
Find Connections. Build Community
This theme is a very understandable one after the world has felt the isolation of being in a pandemic for over two years. Many of us found ourselves staying home 24/7, only having contact with the people we lived with (if you didn’t happen to live alone).
Most of us had never experienced that before. We had never known a time when friendships, school and work relationships, and community events were cut off so completely and with so little notice. Our world changed almost overnight.
And many people’s mental health suffered because of it. The rate of anxiety and depressive disorders in adults quadruped.(2) Many parents reported that their children’s mental health worsened or was at the lowest it had ever been as a result of the pandemic.(3)
We need a shift, a path back to wholeness and health. The best way to get through is with one another.
A Sense of Belonging
Friendship and community are two things that every person is looking for. Some people look for belonging at their favorite sports or events, some look at church, and others look at their job. Everyone wants a place where they are wanted and needed. They want a place where they can be 100% who they are and are accepted in that form.
You may think I’m speaking of adults when talking about this, but children seek this sense of belonging as well. Children want to fit in with their peers; they want to be accepted and appreciated. They want meaningful relationships with their parents or other adults in their life.
While these wants may simply seem to be what we desire, they are also a necessity for mental health. Leaning on each other when times are tough, helping one another get professional help, and providing safe spaces for one another are essential to our well-being.
Understanding One’s Struggles and Perspectives
Connections and relationships with people who emphasize with one’s struggles are invaluable. Feeling that someone truly understands what you’re going through and has maybe even experienced it themselves brings a certain comfort.
Support like this can help youth who would not otherwise reach out for help feel confident enough to do so. Since we know that up to 47% of children and teens with certain mental illnesses do not receive treatment, the importance of this cannot be overstated.(1)
Adults need to be well-educated on the signs and symptoms of mental illness to be able to spot it in children. They also need to be in a close enough relationship with that child to empathize with their struggles and offer support and help.
UK Mental Health Awareness Week
UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week is celebrated from May 9th to the 15th. The Mental Health Foundation provides a variety of resources for parents and teachers to use to be better equipped to talk to their children about mental health.
To learn more about UK Mental Health Awareness Week and the events it’s hosting visit: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/why-loneliness-theme-mental-health-awareness-week-2022
Loneliness
UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week picked its topic with the very same experiences in mind. Everyone around the world has been in this pandemic together. Though various countries have experienced spikes and lockdowns are different points in time, everyone has experienced them at some point.
The mental health implications of the pandemic have also been felt worldwide. One study found that people were reporting intense loneliness at three times the rate experienced before the pandemic.(4)
Loneliness can be detrimental to mental health, gnawing away at a person’s sense of self-worth and satisfaction with life. It has also been shown to lead to higher rates of mortality and poorer physical health outcomes.(5)
Many children have struggled with the loss of time at daycare or school, time that was spent playing with other children and building friendships. Suddenly one day, it was gone, and their young minds couldn’t fully understand why.
We should not be surprised that children’s mental health outcomes were also at a very low point. The pandemic has thrust loneliness upon them too.
Share Your Stories, Break The Stigma
The statistics tell us that no person is alone in their feelings of loneliness. So many are experiencing the pain and heartache of not having the social connections that they really want.
Together we can tackle loneliness. It is possible. We just need each other.
We can share our stories with one another, relating to each other’s struggles and finding a connection in that. Sharing publicly, during an event like Children’s Mental Health Week, helps break the stigma that admitting to mental health struggles makes one weak. More and more children and adults alike will feel the strength to come out from the shadows, share their own stories, and receive the support and help they desperately need.
Over the next few weeks, as these events take place, have the courage to engage in those hard conversations. Talk with your children about how they’re really doing, how they’re feeling on the inside. Check on your neighbors and friends. Ask your coworkers how they are.
We’re all in this together.
For more tips on child mental health, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter or check out my podcast.
Resources