Summer is fast approaching. While kids are busy having fun with their summer activities, parents are on the lookout for the best international school in Manila, weighing pros and cons and carefully studying tuition fees, academic programs, and school culture. And while these are all very important factors to consider when it comes to choosing the first or a new school for one’s child, parents should also be able to teach their children how to interact and relate with their classmates and make new friends.
One of the most important things that should be taught to children before they start school is the value of kindness. It is important especially because it will help kids make new friends at school. It will also help them to effectively and respectively communicate with their peers, teachers, and adults alike. A lot of our children may seem to be polite and articulate on the surface, but are they genuinely kind and respectful? To help parents teach and instill the values of kindness and empathy in their children, here are some tips they can practically use:
Teach Them to Be Sensitive to Others
In order to be kind, parents will have to teach their children the value of respect. Does your child politely respond when being addressed or engaged in conversation by their peers and elders? Do they greet everyone around them nicely and with genuine enthusiasm? While these are not the defining factors for respect, they certainly form a large part of it. Even at a young age, children must be taught empathy: putting one’s self in the shoes of another and acknowledging how it would feel like for the other person. To help children become more sensitive to other people’s feelings, parents can simulate role-playing scenarios where the child will place and imagine themselves in the position of others and communicating what and how would they feel and respond to a certain situation. This will help cultivate kindness, patience, and allow children to become more understanding towards others.
Introduce Polite Words
Children often repeat what is spoken around them. Parents should use this to their advantage and teach their children polite words like “thank you”, “please”, and “excuse me”. Later on, as they grow older, they will learn that kind and respectful words bring out the best in people and uplift them. In the meantime, parents should lead by example by using these phrases more often at home, at work, and in daily conversation with their kids.
Be Gentle and Kind Too
Parents may know that children, especially those who are younger, will not become kind and respectful immediately and on their own. Parents should always strive to be the good example, practicing kindness and respect, both,in their actions and speech, at home and at work, for their children to emulate and follow.
By following these tips and techniques, parents will be able to equip their children with kindness and good values that would help them succeed and make new friends as they meet new and different kinds of people in school. Reedley International School centers on teaching kindness and life skills, in addition to academic excellence, ensuring that students are ready to take on life’s difficult challenges through kindness and competence.
