Preparing Kids with Back-to-School Kindness
Summer is winding down, and the back-to-school season is here. For parents of kids aged 4-12, this transition can be both exciting and a little overwhelming.
Preparing for the back-to-school season is about more than just new clothes and supplies. It's an opportunity to instill important values like kindness and empathy in your children. By engaging in kindness activities, fostering meaningful conversations, and introducing books and quotes that promote kindness, you can help your child develop a positive and compassionate mindset.
Remember, kindness is a powerful tool that can transform not only individual relationships but also entire communities. As parents and caregivers, you have the ability to shape children’s outlooks and actions, setting them up for success both in and out of the classroom.
Let's make this school year the kindest one yet!
With gratitude,
—MiaLisa Millares, Executive Director
ACTIONS
Try a New Kindness Routine
Parents are always trying to find ways to make the most of the time they have with kids. Try these great opportunities to incorporate a little bit of kindness into your daily routine.
Crayons to Cradles
This is a great time to gather items that would be useful to children starting school like gently used clothing and supplies. This incredible organization helps sort the items and provide things that meet the needs of families and children.
Create a Kindness Calendar
We put the important things in our lives on calendars. Why not make some space for kindness too? A kindness calendar can be a fun and engaging way to encourage your child to perform a kind act each day. Sit down together and brainstorm different acts of kindness, such as helping a friend, sharing a toy, or saying something nice to a classmate. Write these activities on a calendar and check them off as you complete them. If you don’t want to create one your own, try one from our Back-to-School Kindness Challenge! This daily practice helps children develop a habit of kindness and look forward to doing something good each day.
Create Kindness Cards for Teachers and Friends
Spend an afternoon crafting kindness cards with your child. These can be simple notes or drawings that express appreciation, encouragement, or well-wishes. Encourage your child to distribute these cards to classmates, teachers, or even school staff. This activity not only fosters creativity but also helps children understand the impact of small gestures of kindness on others.
Volunteer Listings
Are you looking for more opportunities in your area to volunteer with your kids? Check out our free volunteer listings. We try to create a list with a great variety of opportunities that can meet many needs. Simply subscribe to the list and receive a free monthly email that details a number of different opportunities in your community to give back as a family.
CONVERSATIONS
Get ready to change up some of the questions you ask after a day of school – try some of these questions to get some kindness conversation and reflection going. By centering kindness and asking about it, you are showing how important it is in daily life.
What was the kindest thing someone did for you today?
Did you see anyone being kind to someone else today?
How did you show kindness to someone today?
What’s one kind thing you can do for a classmate tomorrow?
How do you feel when someone is kind to you?
Is there someone at school who seems like they need a friend?
Can you think of a time when you wished someone had been kinder to you?
Why do you think it’s important to be kind to everyone?
What are some ways we can be kind as a family?
Who inspires you to be kind and why?
READ
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is a fantastic book that introduces the concept of kindness in a way that's easy for children to understand. The book uses the metaphor of a bucket to explain that everyone carries an invisible bucket that holds their good thoughts and feelings. When you do something kind, you fill someone else's bucket, and in turn, your own bucket gets filled too. This book is perfect for children aged 4-12 and serves as a great conversation starter about the importance of kindness and empathy in everyday interactions. Read more about Carol and her book here.
INSPIRATION
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
—Aesop