Children as Ambassadors of Kindness By Heidi McDonald
On April 15, 2013, eight year old Martin Richard lost his life when the second of two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. After his tragic death, a photo of Martin holding a poster that he made at school was shared over the Internet. Martin’s message of kindness made many people around the world see him as a symbol of peace.
“No more hurting people. Peace.” ~ Martin Richard
Martin Richard grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. In his neighborhood, he learned the value of community and what it means to be a good citizen, a good neighbor, and a good friend. To Martin, peace meant teamwork, good sportsmanship, inclusion, and simple acts of kindness.
Children are born to be givers and kind to one another. But by 4th grade, research shows that they are socialized to think more about themselves than others.
How do we reverse this trend and create long-lasting habits of kindness in children? How can we honor Martin Richard’s wish for a more peaceful, loving, and kind world?
As a school teacher with more than 25 years of teaching experience, I know that children learn by example. As teachers, parents, and members of the community, we must be positive role models of kindness. We need to give children something GRRR-eat to imitate, rather than the negative images and role models that children often see on television, social media, video games, and in their peer groups.
We can begin by teaching children to care about others every day throughout the year. This is the mission of the women who are members of the Kindness In Schools (KIS) committee, which I joined shortly after I moved to Sedona in October 2016.
Once a month, teams of 2 women visit 6 different classrooms at a local public school in Sedona and read books to Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 classrooms. The read aloud books that we select contain themes of kindness, friendship, and empathy. After reading these stories, we lead classroom discussions and meaningful activities that reinforce the kindness concepts discussed in the books.
By teaching children to be givers of kindness, rather than only receivers, we can escalate their feelings of happiness, improve their well-being, reduce bullying, and enrich children’s friendships and connections with their peers.
When children are taught to be caring to others, they learn that being kind to other people benefits the giver, and not just the receiver. Being kind makes children feel happy, good about themselves, and it improves their outlook on life. Well-liked and happy children are more likely to show higher academic achievement in school and they display more positive behaviors and kind characteristics when they become teenagers.
In addition, KIS has performed delightful puppet shows about friendship and empathy and sponsored a speaker and a school wide assembly that led to students being challenged to perform “5,000 Acts of Kindness in 15 days.” We also lend a helping (and kind) hand at school carnivals and PTA events.
The principal and teachers at the school have reported an increase in acts of kindness and friendship since we began our classroom visits and sharing our message. The children look forward to our monthly visits, the books that we share with them, and they refer to us as “The Kindness Ladies.”
How can you promote kindness in your community and with your own children and grandchildren? Encouraging children to perform random acts of kindness is a great way to teach them empathy and generosity. By following in Martin Richard’s footsteps of peace, children can then become Ambassadors of Kindness in their own neighborhoods. 25 Random Acts of Kindness
Hold the door open for someone.
Do a chore for someone without them knowing.
Leave a kind note for someone to read in a library book.
Call your grandparents or write them a letter.
Pick up litter.
Let someone go ahead of you in line.
Walk dogs at the animal shelter.
Do a chore or some yard work for an elderly neighbor.
Talk to someone new at school.
Invite someone to play with you on the playground.
Make a get well card for someone.
Share a special toy with a friend.
Make a home-made gift for someone.
Wash your neighbor’s car.
Help load groceries into someone’s car or offer to return their cart.
Say “please” and “thank you” and smile at everyone you meet.
Collect food and canned goods for a food bank.
Give someone a compliment.
Write a thank you note to someone who has influenced you in a positive way.
Offer to take your neighbor’s dog for a walk.
Help your teacher clean up the classroom.
Help around the house without being asked to do so.
Be extra friendly to the new students in your school.
Smile. Smiling is easy and happiness is contagious!
As a special tribute to Martin Richard and his message of peace and kindness, design a poster that has a theme related to peace and kindness. Display your poster in your classroom, school hallway, and/or post it on social media.
