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!

If you’re a parent or caregiver, you’ve probably heard about childhood developmental milestones from doctors and teachers or other professionals who work with kids. Everyone who spends time with young children on a regular basis is looking for evidence that their development is on track.

Maybe you’ve already spent a lot of time reading about infant and early childhood development. Or maybe the idea of age-appropriate milestones is new to you. Keeping track of milestones—when there are so many of them to look out for—can feel overwhelming. But monitoring your child’s development—and engaging with them in ways that contribute to their learning and growth—is so important.