Easy Tips for Raising Kind Kids o Niños Amables (in hopes they don't grow up to be a-holes)

There is one phrase I always tell mi familia and friends, “As long as my daughter can grow up and not be an asshole, then I think I did a good job as a parent.”  Of course I want my kid to grow up and one day accomplish bigger and greater things than I have, but for me, it shouldn’t be at the cost of being a decent human being.  Trying to raise a kind kid with empathy, concern, and care for all living things so she can grow up making a difference is at the top of my list like so many parents.  

You can google kindness studies and find all sorts of research studies of how kindness can make us happier, or how acts of kindness make us release endorphins and reduces stress, or how kindness supposedly makes us live longer, or how kindness is contagious.  Now I don’t need all the scientific data to persuade me to try and teach my daughter to be kind, but it’s good to know that there are health benefits to being kind as an adult and very likely in kids too.

I’m a very practical person.  As a mamá I’m always multitasking and finding ways to teach my daughter in everyday life situations.  The hospital doesn’t give you a “Here’s how to raise your child for the next 18 years” manual after you give birth.  We all try our best, learn from as many resources as possible, including other mamás, and Yes, we’re still gonna screw it up some days, but we can't be so hard on ourselves, nadie es perfecto, and raising a human is hard work!

Luckily, we're happy to inspire raising kind kids and hopefully make it a little easier for you so you can focus on spending time with your familia.

So what are some everyday easy things We can do with our kids teach our kids to ser amables?  Here are some tips and tools that'll inspire your entire familia.

Kindness Everyday

From the moment we wake up with a simple "Buenos Dias," to listening to our spouses about their day at work or even smiling and thanking the UPS carrier.  These are all EASY things we can do things  that our kids can model.

•  Implement Kindness Words like Por Favor, (please) Gracias (thank you), De Nada (you're welcome), Puedo? (May I?)  Love this from our Kindness Kids You Tube Playlist.
  

• Listen.

• Smile.

Kindness With Ourselves

Teaching our kids to love themselves is teaching them self compassion.  Having self compassion allows us to be more empathetic towards others.  According to the Happiness Track by Emma Sepala P.H.D, self compassion leads to strength, productivity, decreased stress and thus happiness and we definitely want happy kids!

• Use positive image boosting phrases like, "I'm strong.  I can do this.  I'm proud of myself.  I'm beautiful."  This video has so much impact, it made me personally more self aware of what I say around my daughter.
  

• Eat nourishing foods.

• Drink water.

• Exercise or play outdoors.

• Go to church or meditate.

• Breathe.

Kindness with Animals 

We're often reminded to be kind to people but it is equally important to teach kids to be kind to animals and all living things because we all share our planet Earth.  Animals in particular have basic emotion like us like fear, happiness, and sadness.  When children understand that animals have needs and emotions too they're likely to be more empathetic.

• Be gentle while petting pets.
• Have your kids feed your pet.
• Leaving food for the birds.
• Giving money to an animal charity.
• Visit the vet.

Kindness with Nature

Teaching kids to respect nature is teaching them to be kind to our environment and the world we live in.  

• Plant a seed with your child.  Heart this book.
  

• Have your kids water your plants.
• Pick up litter at the park.
• Stop and smell the flowers.
• Recycle & Upcycle.

Kindness with the Elderly

As Latinos many of us are raised to take care of our elderly like our aging parents and abuelos.  It is our responsibility to care for them just as they cared for us.  It is ingrained in our cultura and tradición.  Showing our kids how we take care of our elderly may one day reflect how they take care of us.  This scene from Coco had me in tears but it is an endearing moment between a child and his great grandma. 

• Take an elderly neighbor a meal just because.
• Offer to clean their driveway, sidewalk, or steps after a snowstorm.
• Call yourneighbor for a talk, make it a family talk.
• Have your kids paint a picture for an elderly friend just because.

Kindness Everywhere

We are all given opportunities everyday to show kindness, but are we always kind? Likely not.  Making the conscious effort to be kind will enable us to connect more with people, reward us in more ways, build comunidad, and more importantly set an example for our children.  I see my daughter as a mirror of myself.  So many times I hear the positive and the negative come out of her mouth that's a direct result from what I say and do.  She is a walking, breathing, and visual reminder of how I can better myself as a human being.

Teaching kindness starts with us.  Remember, nobody's perfect, and you don't have to be.  Let's make it a habit to ask ourselves and our kids, "Who were you kind to today?"  AND hopefully they won't be A-holes as adults ;)