Can kindness be taught?
It has long been debated whether kindness can be taught.
Is it innate?
Are some kids just born kind. And is it a skill that can be learned or needs to be taught.. aren’t we all intrinsically kind until we are taught not to be?
So many questions and no definitive answer but hand on heart I can say yes I firmly believe kindness can be taught.
Kindness Activities
I am the author of a kindness activity book for kids called Create Your own Kindness packed with fun activities t help them earn to be kind to themseves each other and to the world. so yes over 50 examples of how kindness can be taught.
Can kindness be taught
I talked about How to raise kids recently in TEDx talk because although belive people are born kind it is not starightforward. Our world is complex and materialistic and self interested and I think it can be HARD to be knd and some people struggle. And yes I believe empathy the ability to see form someone elses perspective is VITAL to kindness. Empathy needs to be taught. It can be hard to imagine someone else’s experience when it is very different when we are in our own bubbles or thorugh age or lack of experience. Kindness is more powerful than judgement and empathy makes us kind rather than judgmental.
I think in parenting and teaching, coaching and nurturing roles we should always explicitly teach kids to be kind.
Imagine a world where kindness is taught above all else
Imagine if every child knew that when someone was sad or distressed, lonely or unhappy, left out, bullied, frustrated or scared that it was up to them to try and reach in and where possible access help, help lighten the load and show compassion.
Then visualize those children growing up and becoming our bus drivers, politicians, our doctors and social workers, our refuge collectors and business owners, caretakers and so on.
If every single child grew up to know that at their very core they should always be kind and always reach in with kindness.
Wow what a wonderful world it would be.
Can kindness be taught? What do you think about this?
I believe it can.
Take a look at my #TEDtalk where I will explain more and discuss in depth can kindness be taught.
