There has never been a more important time to raise kind, caring, and empathetic kids. It’s World Kindness Day today and a perfect occasion to join the Play It Forward Project, the Soccer Sisters social media campaign we launched this year.
The movement’s mission is to share acts of kindness with one another and help inspire others to do the same. Whether it be as simple as staying inside for recess when your buddy breaks his arm, or as grand as collecting toys for sick kids, there are countless ways we can make our communities better by encouraging kids and adults alike to embrace kindness.
Soon after we launched the campaign, my own kids inspired my family to have a regular “kindness check-in” at dinner, something I wrote about in the Washington Post. I was thrilled when the folks at Highlights Magazine reached out recently to tell me they had seen the article and wanted to share their latest issue with me, “The State of Kindness According to Kids.”
One of my favorite lines from their survey is, “We want to help kids understand that thinking about the common good gives us the power to change the world for the better.” In addition, the survey discusses what children want to see in adults – namely more kindness – so no more giving the finger at red lights, people! It also discusses ways in which kindness can be taught: through conversation, leading by example, and honoring noble qualities at home.
I remember Highlights as the magazine for its “Hidden Pictures,” and I loved to see if I could find them all. It’s clear that there is much more to find in this issue so I hope you’ll take a look and share it with your friends and family.
