Back-to-School - Making Kindness a Priority

It's that time of year. Back to school. Over the next couple of weeks, we will check off our supply lists, start filling our calendars with activities, and work through drop-off/pick-up routines. While going through your checklists, don't forget to remind your kids about making kindness a priority this school year.

Kindness is something we talk about frequently with our kids. It's more than just telling them to be nice or kind. I believe kids need help thinking through what that means in the context of their daily life. When we talk about kindness, the focus tends to be on inclusion.

Our kids are told to look for opportunities to include others. This might happen at lunchtime, during recess, or during free time in class. Do you have a classmate that isn't sure who to sit with at lunch? Invite them to join you. Is someone wandering by themselves at recess? See if they want to join the game you are playing. Are you allowed some discussion time during class? Look for a classmate that might be shy about joining the conversation. In some cases, a classmate might be choosing to keep to themselves. Those things happen, but imagine if you went your entire day without anyone acknowledging you.

There will be days your kids forget and get distracted by the excitement of their lunch break or recess time. That's ok. Habits take time. If it is something you discuss with them on a regular basis, there might come a day when they reach out to a classmate needing a friend.