Creating a kindness and sharing framework
Within every day life, families have routines and expectations in place to ensure that each day progresses without any hitches. When adding children to the mix, all bets are off and the day may not progress as smoothly as planned. Young children are very focused on their own needs and may struggle with set boundaries, especially when it comes to kindness and sharing. For toddlers everything within their reach belongs to them and the idea of having to share can result in cataclysmic meltdowns. So how can you guide your little one on their kindness and sharing learning journey?
Kid’s Island Nursery, kindergarten in Dubai, believes that modelling the desired behavior is the best place to start. Teachers speak to the children in a respectful manner while using magic words such as “Please” and “Thank you!” They consistently remind and encourage the children to do the same, ensuring that a healthy expectation is set within the class. Laying down boundaries helps children to understand their environment and is vital when setting expectations for kindness.
As children develop, they become more aware of their surroundings and emotions as they interact with others. With this awakening comes a whole new world of emotions: happiness, joy and gratitude. Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah, Dubai provides children with opportunities to practice their kindness skills. The children’s expectations are set before they begin playing. They are gently guided and shown that sharing, gentle hands and kind words will be the expected norm.
The expectations within the Nursery are also applicable within the home. Modelling empathy and kindness at home is one of the easiest ways to reinforce the kindness lesson and ensure consistency.
As a parent participation project, Kid’s Island Nursery recently launched a Kindness Challenge. Children and parents were challenged to complete acts of kindness to reinforce the message being delivered at Nursery. Parents were encouraged to discuss and explain why they were showing gratitude. The purpose behind the challenge was to help parents create a kindness and sharing platform, from which the children could learn from and refer to in the future.
Kindness ideas suggested to parents:
Count how many times a day you can use the magic words Please and Thank you.
Watch the sunrise or sunset together. Just sit together and enjoy the moment.
Visit the Fire station with a thank you card for all the brave firefighters.
Leave a flower on someone’s doorstep.
Draw a picture on a postcard and send it to a family member in another country.
Make a thank you card and give it to the person who made you feel special.
Paint kindness rocks and place them in a friends flowerpots or garden.
Cut out hearts and give them to the nurses next time you go to the doctor office.
Draw a happy message with chalk on the sidewalk.
Compliment five people and enjoy their smiles.
Embrace your family with a group hug.
Draw a big heart on the beach and leave it for beach goers to enjoy on their walk.
Hold the door for someone and wish them a nice day as they enter.
Learn to say “thank you” in a new language.
Make someone happy!
Kid’s Island Nursery, believes it is the primary job of parents, caregivers and educators, to nurture and guide children to be naturally kind so it eventually becomes a lifelong habit. Once the framework has been created, the roots of kindness and gratitude will be planted and give children a solid foundation to grow from in the future.