five ways to teach kids kindness

We all want to raise our kids to be caring people who think of others. We can start this from an early age by showing them how to do little things that can grow into bigger things. This might be volunteering at the City Mission or at a local rest home as your kids grow older. Here are some nice ideas to teach our little ones kindness from a younger age:

1. Collect cans of food and donate them to the city mission or Salvation Army

This is a great opportunity to explain that there are people in need of food and we can do our bit to help other people. Get your little one to pick out five cans from the pantry and take them to the city mission or your local Salvation Army.

2. Donate old clothes to charity

Spend some time with your little one going through his or her drawers finding clothes that are too small. Bag them up and take them to a local clothing bin or Salvation Army/op shop to give to others in need.

3. Make a meal for someone else

This is a great quality time moment as well as doing something nice for someone else, be it a neighbour in need, a new mum etc.  Baking or cooking a meal and having your little one help make and deliver the fruit of your labours will help your children feel good and understand the beauty of giving to others.

4. Help do some chores around the house or for someone else

This could be as simple as folding the laundry together or doing it for someone else you know who could do with a bit of help. It teaches the act of kindness and looking after others. The opportunity to explain why and to see the reaction of the recipient is pretty darn special too.

5. Look online at World Vision or a similar charity and pick a child to sponsor

Once you've sponsored that child each month you can write and send letters and pictures to him or her and explain to your children that giving to others is  important in life — and that's a valuable life lesson.