Children are like a sponge. They will absorb almost everything that they see the adults do and say. And that is why it is extremely important to begin teaching children respect, kindness, love, compassion, and being happy at home.
Love begins at home. When a child feels loved and safe at home, it becomes their safe haven. And when they become adults, no matter how cruel the outside world would be, when they know that the home is a wellspring of kindness, they would come home. And when they are recharged, no longer feeling defeated by the negativity outside of the home, they will venture back out and do the best they can to give kindness to people around them. Deep inside a kind person’s being is a pure, pure soul—one that will not sit back and watch when they are consumed by the negative. They will fight for what they think is right, even if it means standing alone. Because they know that once they go back home, kindness and respect will still be there. And love.
Sure, there will come a time when the world would feel too heavy and too cruel to them. And at times, they would even question the need for spreading kindness when all they get is the opposite. They may even be victims of abuse because of their kindness. Their good hearts will be challenged, and they may even question the need for a moral compass. Whether or not you are a parent, continue encouraging the children to be kind and to be respectful.
Encourage children to be kind. In this lifetime, there will be others who will learn from them about kindness. Even at a young age, they have the power to influence other people even those older than them about kindness and how it could make the world a better place.
Kindness—it does not take much. A simple “Thank you,” “Please,” and a smile can make a person’s day brighter. Involving children in volunteer activities, perhaps in pet shelters and/or clean-up drives, orphanages, or homes for the aged can will teach them compassion and respect for other people’s (and pets’) lives.
And encouraging children—especially at a young age—to be kinder to themselves will help them in their adult life. When the world becomes harsh and merciless to them when they go after their dreams and fail along the way, being kinder to themselves will save them from terrible heartaches.