How to Raise a Kind Child….According to Harvard
1. Practice makes perfect: Kids need opportunities to practice becoming caring and helpful; those qualities aren’t necessarily innate. Researchers call for daily repetition, “whether it’s helping a friend with homework, pitching in around the house, having a classroom job, or working on a project on homelessness.” Guidance from adults is important.
2. Kids need to learn to “zoom in and out”: Researchers explain this means that kids need to be in tune with the needs of those in their immediate circle, but also have a bigger-picture perspective. “It is by zooming out and taking multiple perspectives, including the perspectives of those who are too often invisible (such as the new kid in class, someone who doesn’t speak their language, or the school custodian), that young people expand their circle of concern and become able to consider the justice of their communities and society,” the study says.
3. Strong moral role models are key: Simply put, this means parents need to practice what they preach. Perfection is not the answer; acknowledging mistakes is. “We, too, need to continually practice and zoom in and out, cultivating our capacities for care, widening our circles of concern, and deepening our understanding of fairness and justice,” researchers write.
4. Children need to be guided in managing destructive feelings: Kids struggle to care for others when overwhelmed by feelings like anger or envy. Adults can help them manage these feelings in productive ways.
The Bump
By Anisa Arsenault
Associate Editor