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Good parenting plays a very important role in defining the behavioral pattern of a child. Studies show clear evidence of parenting influence on children’s psyche, development, and formation of their character. They form their character gradually as and when they grow and tend to pick up or learn things more quickly by observing and experiencing rather than just verbal teaching. Therefore, introducing these 10 powerful acts of love and kindness can surely have a positive and powerful impact on forming their personality.
These are must-practice and very powerful acts of love and kindness:
1. Sharing
Teach your child the value of sharing. Tell them to share their toys with their friends. Let them know about the essence of sharing and how it helps in establishing a good friendship that lasts forever. Read the stories or quotes of sharing. Get them accustomed to turn-taking, use phrases like my turn and your turn.
2. Caring
Caring or taking care of others is one of the most important qualities which a child needs to imbibe. Sending cards to grandparents, offering to carry someone’s bag or offering your seat to someone, buying food and giving it to some random needy person on street, not littering and dumping trash anywhere, giving food to animals are few of the ways to show care towards people, animals, and nature.
3. Respectful
Teach your child how to respect others irrespective of their gender, age and economic status. Never to look down upon someone. Always greeting with a smile. Teach them how to respect nature by not throwing trash anywhere, by being affectionate to animals. Teach them how to respect and be polite to elders etc. Tell them that when you give respect you earn respect and everybody starts loving you.
4. Don’t be judgmental
Fault-finding or being judgmental is the worst thing that you can teach to your child as a parent. Blaming others or being judgmental can create an approach to life, which will have direct connotations to negativity. Instead of criticizing a child on his failure, it is better to find a way to encourage good things. Criticizing constantly can be quite demoralizing and can easily rip his self-esteem. Always remember one thing that negativity breeds negativity only. Having said that we can’t be very casual and lenient about our mistakes. We need to learn from our mistakes. There is a thin line of demarcation between the two which we need to keep in mind.
5. Be kind to animals
I have seen a lot of children being cruel to animals. Throwing stones at them, playing pranks on them is quite upsetting as an onlooker. Teach the child to be gentle and kind toward animals. Teach them the right kind of gentle touch, tell them not to touch or pull their tails. Teach them the various signs of animal discomfort and how to respect that, tell them not to chase or startle them as this can be dangerous for them as well. Being affectionate toward animals create compassion and help them to respect the environment.
6. Be polite and courteous
Teach your child how to be polite and courteous. Introduce powerful words like ‘please’, thank you, excuse me and sorry at an early age. Don’t yell at them to correct their mistakes in front of others, this hurt their dignity. Acknowledge their opinion whether alone or in front of other children. Correct them on spot politely for any mistakes they have done.
7. Don’t hurt
Teach your child to be respectful and kind to others. Make them know that mocking others or making fun of others is not a good thing to do and can hurt someone’s feelings. Drill this sentence in their mind that your laughter or fun should not be anyone’s cause of pain.
8. Helpful
Inculcate the habit of helping others by donating food and clothes to needy. Offer seats when someone needs it. Help someone in carrying bags, sharing toys, snacks, helping someone in picking up the toys, watering the plants, etc.
9. Welcome new people
Teach them how to welcome a new member in their family, neighborhood or school. Making friends with a shy child, helping them and being nice and kind to them.
10. Express empathy
Empathy – one of the fundamental things that makes a person, good, kind and generous. For making the world a better place teaches your child the power of empathy. Teach them the basic rules of politeness and kindness, point out another person’s kind behavior. Teach them nonverbal cues and most importantly praise their empathetic behavior.
I have often heard people ask- ‘define parenting‘
My only response is that if you can teach your child to be polite and kind, then, that’s it. That’s what defines parenting!
by Suditsha Sanyal
Such a nice compilation post.