When we think about the kind of people we hope our children will become, kindness is usually at the top of the list. We want our kids to be thoughtful, empathetic, and able to build meaningful relationships with others.
The good news is that kindness isn’t something children either have or don’t have. It’s something they learn over time through everyday moments, guidance, and the examples we set. Here are simple, practical ways to help your child grow into a kind and compassionate person.
Raising kind kids is less about one-time lessons and more about the daily habits and environments we create at home, where children learn kindness through everyday experiences.
Research shows that practicing kindness can improve emotional well-being, boost confidence, and even support physical health in both children and adults.1,2
10 Practical Ways to Raise Kind Kids
These simple habits and activities can help your child practice kindness in everyday life while building empathy and strong social skills.
1. Model Kindness
Treat everyone you encounter with kindness, your spouse, children, relatives, and neighbors, starting with yourself. Give honest compliments. Give hugs. Hold the door open for strangers. Listen. Offer help. Remember, actions speak louder than words, and kindness is contagious!
Related: How Hugging Your Kids Helps Their Brain Development
2. Praise Your Kids as Kind
This approach helps children see kindness as part of who they are, not just something they do.
Dr. Thomas Lickona, the author of the book How to Raise Kind Kids, says to tell your kids they are “kind” and “generous” (rather than praising their actions as kind) at every appropriate opportunity. “You are such a kind, big sister.” “You are such a generous friend.” This makes kindness and generosity a valued part of their identity rather than the product of external behavior.
If you’re looking for more ways to reinforce kind behavior, you can also explore additional strategies for teaching kindness to kids.
3. Read Books About Kindness
Read children’s books about kindness, like Horton Hears a Who!, Last Stop on Market Street, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, What Does It Mean to Be Kind?, or The World Needs More Purple People, together.
4. Watch Movies and TV Shows About Kindness
Watch kindness-focused family movies like Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Paddington, Tangled, The Fox and the Hound, The Peanuts Movie, or Up together.
Or, together, watch children’s TV shows about kindness like Arthur, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Doc McStuffins, Sesame Street, or Thomas & Friends. Need more TV ideas? Discuss what you’ve watched with your kids afterward. Talk about ways the characters show kindness and how you can show kindness in your own life.
5. Create a Family Mission Statement
A great way to raise kind kids is to write a family mission statement that makes kindness a core value. Create a reference point for your family’s words, actions, and decisions. Display your family’s mission statement prominently in your home. You can also write a family poem or song!
Related: How to Write a Family Mission Statement
6. Volunteer Together
Giving back as a family shows kids that kindness extends beyond their immediate world.
Spend quality time together volunteering at your local food bank, school, library, or animal shelter. Clean up a park or plant trees near your home together. Need more volunteer ideas? Here’s a list of 36 volunteer ideas for kids of every age.
7. Donate Together
Helping others through giving teaches generosity in a tangible way.
Let your child help you pick a charity with an important cause to your family. Collect coins in a “giving jar” for the charity you choose, and donate the money together when the jar is full. Or have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to the charity. You can also collect items like canned goods for a food bank or diapers for a pregnancy resource center.
8. Give Kids Age-Appropriate Chores
Teach your kids responsibility with household chores that benefit the whole family. Have them unload the dishwasher or dryer, fold laundry, wipe down bathroom counters, set and clear the table, water plants, or collect and take out the trash or recycling. Ask them to help take care of a family pet. According to Dr. Lickona, kindness is about being helpful: “It means being aware of others’ needs, noticing them, helping without being asked.”
Related: Chores for Kids by Age: Toddlers to Teens
9. Share Real-World Examples of Kindness
Share real-life stories of kids practicing kindness with your children. Inspire your kids to come up with ways to be kind in their community. For example, tell them about these Phoenix kids who raised $3,500 to provide water in South Sudan.
10. Play Kindness Games
Make noticing and practicing kindness fun and exciting for your kids! There are also several free kindness resources for kids available at Kindness.org. You could go on a kindness scavenger hunt over several days. Or play kindness Bingo together. Your kids can complete a kindness experiment or a summer kindness challenge together. Or you could color kindness coloring sheets together.
Related: Random Acts of Kindness To Do With Your Child
Raising kind kids doesn’t happen all at once. It’s built through small, everyday moments that add up over time.
As you model kindness, create opportunities to give, and guide your child through real-life situations, they begin to understand how their actions affect others. Those lessons stay with them and help shape the kind of person they become.
