The upside of teaching & experiencing kindness

Some say that courage only matters when you are afraid, and the same may be true for being kind. It can be hard to be kind when we feel like others have not been kind to us. Which makes it all the more important to be kind when we are feeling good about ourselves and others. If you think of the time when someone held the door for you because your hands were full; or that time you dropped your wallet and someone handed it to you; or when your student or child made you a thoughtful drawing about how great you are.

These are the moments that move us and stay in our memories. And we should feel moved when someone is kind to us. It’s natural because kindness can grow through us, into others, and onto even more people. 

The upside of practicing kindness:

• Expands social emotional development.

• Improves academic performance.

• Boosts our mood.

• Boosts our health.

Teaching kids about kindness is the first step in their development towards a life affirming achievement: Gratitude. Without learning about kindness, it is much harder for kids to learn about gratitude later on. And studies show that adults who express gratitude live better lives. We are so grateful that you have taken the time to read our posts, it means a lot to us here at HappySad!

Building our kindness muscle in the classroom:

• Print our new ‘Kindness Challenge’ writing & coloring exercise.

• End of week writing exercise - practicing gratitude.

• Practice meditation. We love New Horizon for kids. Even 3-5 minutes expands our ability to be calm.

• Write a thank you letter, even if its just a sentence or two.

• Leave a nice note for someone at their desk.

Simple acts of kindness you can do today (Kids or Adults!):

• Open a door for someone.

• Help a friend in need.

• Compliment someone on something you liked or found inspiring about them.

• Invite a friend on the playground to play with you whom you may not have played with before.

• Leave an extra quarter in the vending machine.

• Give someone you love an extra long hug. 🤗

Kindness books to read with kids:

• Love Grows Everywhere by Barry Timms

• Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer

• A Good Thing Happened Today by Michelle Figueroa

• The Sound of Kindness by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

• Just Because by Matthew McConaughey

Written by: David Zeitler, Happy Sad Chief Resident Psychologist