book topics
Kindness
Kindness comes in many forms. Kindness to ourselves, kindness to others, kindness to the environment, to animals.
Kindness definition:
kindness
/ˈkʌɪn(d)nəs/
noun
-
the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Conversation starters:
What are some ways that you can be kind? What are kind words? Where do you feel kindness in your body?
Restitution and relationship repair
Not everything always goes to plan, but here's the good news. When a relationship is temporarily broken or damaged, it can be repaired. Learning to say sorry, take responsibility for our words and actions and repairing the relationship is an important aspect of learning to be kind.
Conversation starters:
What do you think it means when doors to kindness get stuck? How do you feel when someone has been unfriendly to you? Who could you tell? What are ways you can feel better? What are some ways that you can say sorry? (using your words, making a card, doing something kind for someone, cleaning up a mess that was made etc).
Kind deeds
There's plenty of literature to support that not only doing kind deeds for others, but witnessing acts of kindness, leads to serotonin/oxytocin production, a powerful neurotransmitter, also known as the love hormone.
Be kind, you'll feel good and so will others.
Conversation starters:
Name a time you have been kind to someone else? Do you share your toys? How does it feel to share? How does it feel when someone shares something with you?
Gratitude
gratitude
/ˈɡratɪtjuːd/
noun
-
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Gratitude is linked to happiness in children. It's an important concept to practice for positive longer-term mental health, feelings of happiness and better physical health. Incorporate gratitude into daily routines eg before bed think of three things to be thankful for.
Conversation prompts: What are you grateful for? List 3 things that you are thankful for. What does gratitude mean to you?
Kindness in the classroom & playground
Kindness to others is so important, in the home, life, the playground and also in the classroom.
Learning to share, use manners, wait turns are all important foundational social skills that lead to healthy social emotional development.
Conversation starters: What does being a good friend look like? Who can you talk to if someone is being unkind? What do you think the Tigers behind the tree are doing? What would you do if you saw someone being bullied in the playground?
Self care and positive affirmations
Self-care is not selfish. It is so important to teach children about the importance of taking time to stop, pause and breathe.
Come up with your own self-care ideas and incorporate this into routines, so that it becomes habit.
Positive affirmations are also so important. Teaching yourself to use kind words and be kind to yourself.
Convestation starters: What does self-care mean to you? How can you be kind to yourself? What affirmations (kind words) can you say to yourself? What healthy foods do you like to eat? What time do you go to bed?
