Valentine’s Day is right around the corner which makes me grateful to feel all the love in my family. More than anything, I hope to be raising kind kids that are loving and compassionate.
On Me: Heart T-Shirt | Neutral Booties | Cashmere Cardigan
On Georgie: Heart Breaker Hoodie | Chukka Boots | Jeans
On Wilder: “MoM” Tattoo Romper
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner which makes me grateful to feel all the love in my family. More than anything, I hope to be raising kind kids that are loving and compassionate.
My husband always shares the quote, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” How true is that?!
This day in age is full of bullying, comparison and competition. Top that with the growing concern of every detail of life being seen on social media and our children are growing up in a trying world. More now than ever it’s important to instill kindness and compassion in our children.
I believe this is something that needs to be taught. If hate is taught, so is love.
Going back to my New Year’s Resolution to be more intentional in my life, being intentional with my parenting trumped all. How I live my everyday life, and how I treat my boys will affect their decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s SOOO important for me to be intentional with my words and parenting with something so great at stake.
I did my due diligence and read up on ways that I can be raising kind kids.
Some of the following really stood out to me and just made sense. We’ve been implementing them into our everyday life. Even if you aren’t a mom, these can be useful to know!
Raising Kind Kids:
* Above all else setting an example yourself is key. Being a strong moral compass for your children to mimic your actions is paramount.
* Prioritize kindness, compassion, strong morals, etc. If we constantly are worrying about their achievements, sports accolades, “success” we lose sight of what is important.
* Make it a habit to ask your children daily what they are grateful for that day and what kind act they did. Since my babies are so young, I just tell them mine. For example, “Georgie I am so grateful for you. Thank you for being kind and sharing your truck with your brother.” It’s a great way to start and end the day too!
* Practicing and teaching mindfulness. This in return leads to kindness.
* When they outgrow toys, have them help bring it to a friend or donate to someone in need. A friend of mine’s daughter gave Georgie her little guitar when she had outgrown it. He still loves it so much! She learned a good lesson, and G has a more meaningful and special toy. Win-win!
* Always encourage sharing. (I thought this was simple.. but you’d be surprised! Having G be more social with playdates and My Gym I’ve noticed so many parents that will take a toy back that their child was playing with or something similar.)
* Reward them for kind actions with experiences or getting to do something special not getting something special. This also encourages them to appreciate moments over possessions.
* Go out of your way to be kind to others. Remember, your child is watching and learning! (This includes your significant other…)
I hope everyone has a Valentine’s day filled with lots of love!
Here are some books that I loved that dive deep into this subject: Permission To Parent: How to Raise Your Child with Love and Limits , Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed In Our All-About-Me World , Strong & Kind: Raising Kids of Charector
