Long ago, the basic rule on the playground is to do to others what you want them to do to you. Today, however, it seems that children are more inclined to believe that they have to take an eye for an eye.
An NBC News State of Kindness Poll said that the majority of 2,600 respondents believe that children are becoming meaner with 62 percent believing that they are less kind than the children in the past. Out of these participants, 77 percent also believe that the parents are to blame for these behaviors. Hence, a A Harvard study in 2015 as discussed on Good Parenting also showed that kids these days value aspects of success and achievement more than they do kindness and concern for others.
The bad news is that if kids and their peers don't value kindness as a top priority, then they are more at risk for harmful behaviors like bullying. In 2010, nearly 30 percent of middle school and high school kids reported being bullied, and many others admitted to experiencing, at least, one episode of sexual harassment.
With that in mind, here are ways to make sure that you're raising a child that values kindness:
- Take responsibility for your actions. Remember that kids often follow the actions of their parents so if you show them cruelty, they might think it's okay, leading them to be less than kind on the playground.
- Give them the opportunity to be kind. Kindness is not an inherent trait -- required to be practiced and honed as early as possible for a child to learn it. One key is to give them opportunities to practice being kind and helpful, starting with helping a friend or pitching in on house chores.
- Help kids manage their emotions. Anger, shame and envy can trigger meanness and cruelty so show your child that these negative emotions are normal, but that there are helpful and harmful ways in handling them. Instead of telling kids what's right or wrong, discuss with them ethics and issues of injustice to help them learn responsibility toward others instead.
Help make a difference. Make sure that your child values kindness -- above everything else for a happier playground experience.
