Kindness Is the Most Important Value Parents Want to Instill In Children

Kindness matters most when parents consider character traits they want to develop in their children.

Does kindness matter in today’s often-harsh world? According to most parents, it matters more than ever. Recent surveys and studies have shown parents are especially concerned with instilling this character quality.

Survey Says

A study by Parents Today indicates that for parents, instilling kindness is one of their key concerns when it comes to raising kids.

“[The study] reveals that although parents believe raising kind children is the most important value they can instill, they also believe that kids today are less kind than past generations.” The study, which uncovers insights about American  parents’ biggest parenting challenges, concerns and priorities, as well as their views about their own parenting skills and parenting in the pandemic, is highlighted in PARENTS’ second annual special November 2020 Kindness Issue and on parents.com/kindness.

Smart Move

In addition to prosocial aspects of teaching children to be kind, there are additional benefits, according to the Forbes.com article by Nick Morrison, “If You Teach Children to Be Kind, You Get Better Results in Class.” Notes Morrison, “Children who are kinder and more generous to their classmates score higher in tests and make more progress than those who are less helpful towards their peers, according to a new study.”

Researchers speculate that a possible reason for the link between kind behavior and academic achievement is that skills involved in nurturing activities such as taking another’s perspective cause children to stimulate their own brains.” Additionally, it’s commonly accepted that kindness as a learned behavior benefits everyone, the children, kindness recipients, and the greater community.

Partner Up

The great news is that partnering with parents in reinforcing kind behavior traits is easy to do. Simply verbally commending children whenever you see them exhibit kind behaviors and impulses is one of the best ways to encourage these behaviors even more.

Read more about the PARENTS Values Study here.

Find a free Kindness Craft here.

Discover ways to create kindness-centered environments for kids here.