Showing posts with label teaching children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching children. Show all posts

Kindness is a Virtue

Kindness is a personal quality that enables an individual to be sensitive to the needs of others and to take personal action to meet those needs. It is more than being nice and agreeable. It is a quality of one’s being, not just a matter of a person’s behavior. It is known as a virtue and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions. Research has shown that acts of kindness does not only benefit receivers of the kind act, but also the giver, as a result of the release of neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of contentment and relaxation when such acts are committed.

The Value of Kindness

Kindness is priceless, like other virtues and good gifts. Its blessings last throughout eternity. The model of kindness in a person can make a difference in a family and its ancestors, in a neighborhood, in an office or business, in a town, and in the world. Image what our nation and our world would be like if there were more models of kindness active in our communities rather than models of material success and personal fame.

Examples of Kindness

Truly kind persons are probably not the most famous ones in the world. True kindness is probably best demonstrated quietly without much attention being given to it. Here are some ways to tap into the virtue of Kindness............

 Reach Out to the Homeless
  • Provide aid to a homeless shelter by donating clothes and food. Be part of serving food at a shelter. By taking personal time to serve your fellow man it demonstrates a high level of kindness that pierces the soul of a hurting individual. You can also volunteer at churches and other charities that serve the needs of the homeless.
Extend a Helping Hand to Parents
  • Offer childcare help to parents who have several children. This simple act of kindness will help foster stronger relationships and give a much needed break to a mother or father. Offer to take children of a neighbor to an after school activity, the park or a movie while their parents go out to dinner.The sky is the limit to what you can do to assist a couple that is overwhelmed with little resources.
Be Helpful at Work
  • Being kind to your co-workers doesn't require very much effort at all and can be done in so many ways. Help a colleague who doesn't expect it and carry a box of copier paper or cover someones shift, so they can pick up their child. Get an extra cup of coffee or a snack for a fellow employee. Celebrate their birthday by taking them out to lunch. Cheer up colleagues who may be having a difficult time by writing them an encouraging email or offer support. The key is to make a sacrifice, however small, in order to make a colleague's life a little brighter.
Teach your Children to be Kind.
  • Encourage children to do kind things for other kids at their school. Ask them about children who doesn't have many friends or kids who are picked on by bullies. Share and teach your children to share. Kids can share their snacks, share their lunch table or ask a new person to play at recess. In doing so, they expand their group of friends, make a marginalized child feel better and inspire other kids to do the same. To teach children kindness it must start with you.  Strive to be kind and leave you're kids with a legacy of kindness. 
  • Reach out to persons who are suffering from terminal illnesses. Take stuffed animals to a cancer unit of a local hospital. Visit senior centers, nursing homes and hospice facilities to spend some time with people who are alone. Participate in different marathons, run-walks and other fundraisers that benefit persons who have medical challenges or diseases to raise money.
Improve the Lives of Children Less Fortunate
  • Become a big brother or sister to underprivileged children. Participate in charities that feed hungry children, adopt, donate clothes, provide guidance and education by mentoring a child. Join organizations that provide sports and other activities for inner city kids. Visit hospitals or cancer units and donate toys during the holidays through Toys for Tots.
Preserve the Environment for the Future
  • Demonstrate kindness towards the environment. Do your part in changing regular light bulbs to halogen based light bulbs. Walk to work when possible instead of driving a car to eliminate pollution of the environment. Don't throw anything on the ground or street to keep streets clean and beautified. Use solar and consider buying hybrid cars in the future. Focus your kindness on a massive scale. This doesn't mean you have to do a massively large good deed, it means you should try to perform kindness for the earth. There are countless ways to make our world a better place just a little at a time.
Kindness can be shown in so many ways. Smile and thank people in service jobs, open a door for others, help a person pick up some items that they have dropped, make a personal visit to a friend who is home bound. You can help change a distressed motorist's tire or simply hold the elevator for a stranger. Wave to say 'thank you' when someone lets you in front as you drive, or give up a good parking spot if you see a pregnant mom. Improve your community and volunteer to plant trees in a local park. Serve without expectations. Do at least one extra big kind deed a day. Create a Culture of Kindness.

My Request
If you know a kind person, thank them for this blessing. It will encourage and strengthen them, and you as well. Open your eyes and your heart to others, and their needs will stimulate and nourish the virtue of kindness in your own heart. Selfishness is the great enemy of kindness, so resist it. Give attention to this quality of their being, not just to how well they behave. Strengthen the virtue of kindness in your world, because in its expression you will transform lives. May you receive the help of a kind person when you are in need. Make kindness part of your legacy!

Work with a Business and Life Management Coach with over 20 years’ experience empowering people to attain self-defined success in their personal and professional life. Contact me  to book a free session and start today!



Mentoring Children


All parents hope that their children will grow up healthy, happy, and productive. They aspire to have children who have the skills to contribute to their own well-being and to the well-being of their families and community. There is no magic bullet for developing these capacities in children. Literally thousands of programs have been developed to support families in their efforts to help children to become competent, confident, caring young people who have positive social connections and good characters.

Children have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However, not all children get the support they need to thrive. By all estimates, an astounding 17.6 million young people - nearly half the population between 10 and 18 years of age - live in situations that put them at risk of not living up to their potential. Without immediate intervention by caring adults, they could make choices that undermine their futures. The presence of caring adults offering support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples has proved to be powerful tools for helping young people fulfill their potential.

Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult who, along with the parents, help young people bring out strengths that are already there. They are good listeners, compassionate and teach children how to live an honorable life. A mentor is not a foster parent, therapist, parole officer, or cool peer. The role of a mentor is not to "fix" young people but rather to help them achieve their full potential. Enforcing competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, and contribution to self and society, help develop a child into a productive and respectful adult in later years.

A mentor's main purpose is to help a young person define individual goals and find ways to achieve them. Since the expectations of each child will vary, the mentor's job is to encourage the development of a flexible relationship that responds to the young person's needs. Using influence and resources as a decision maker, adults can bring new hope to young lives through the power of mentoring. A mentor encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, teaches respect for oneself and family, supports academic achievement, and introduces the young person to new ideas. Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking alcohol (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters). About 40% of teenager's waking hours are spent without any companionship or supervision. Mentors provide children and teens with a valuable place to spend free time. Children learn to make thoughtful choices, fulfill their commitments, acknowledge their mistakes and account for their actions. By taking control of their lives, children realize they can achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.

I encourage you to think of the mentors in your own life - a coach, teacher, or another caring adult, and take a few minutes to consider all the contributions they have made in your life during your developing years. I know throughout my own adult life and business career, I have been greatly rewarded by years of mentoring children and young adults into productive, happy individuals that are successful in life. Children need someone to believe in them. Often times, children lack the attention needed to reinforce morals, values and self esteem on a daily basis. It makes all the difference in the world during times of indecision in their lives to have that reinforcement. Mentoring develops children into young adults who have confidence, determination and self-awareness.

Mentoring is recognized throughout the US as an important part of a child's life and some states have already proposed legislation to the Senate. The Coalition of State Mentoring Partnerships has worked closely with Capitol Hill staff and Senators to advocate this legislation. The Mentoring for All Act 2008 (S. 3200) is one of the most significant legislation actions to benefit mentoring. Please call; send emails or letters to your Senators urging support for the bill.

Denise Dema is a Business and Life Management Coach who has over 20 years experience empowering individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners to attain self-defined success in their professional & personal lives. To learn more about the author and her practice please visit www.denisedema.com