One of the things I would encourage people, not just parents, but anyone who is saddled with the responsibility of raising a child either as a parent, guardian, caregiver, coach, teacher, or mentor is to teach the child KINDNESS.
Yes!! You heard me right, kindness can also be learned from home or from anyone willing to teach.
If there is anything that the world needs most now, it’s kindness. The world needs more kind people for it to be more conducive for all.
Imagine how hostile and unbearable life would be if we have more selfish humans who only care about themselves and can do anything to please themselves even when it threatens the peace and well-being of others.
But then, we can hardly talk about kindness without mentioning the word EMPATHY. Empathy which according to the dictionary is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others is an important aspect of human existence that must not be neglected if we truly desire to raise children who will exude kindness. And thankfully, both empathy and kindness can be learned and improved on.
Lack of empathy is the reason the nation is littered with many unkind politicians who would rather loot the country’s treasury and stalk up for their future generations while they watch the poor masses die of hunger and the aged retirees queue in the sun begging and crying to be paid their pensions.
Lack of kindness due to the inability to feel the pains of others is also the reason some of you will see less privileged children walk to school barefooted and turn blind eyes only to sit in groups later to gossip about how the parents could not afford to buy shoes for their child, meanwhile you have old shoes that your kids are not using that you could have helped the family with to at least soften their burden.
The world has never gotten better with unkind people.
Dear parents…
You owe it to humanity to teach your children how to be kind to others. It’s a skill and it can be learned by anyone as long as the heart is willing.
And one of the most simple ways to teach it to your children is for you to act it and live it. Let your children grow up seeing you embody kindness through the way you speak and live your life. This is because children learn more from what they see.
The world does not need more hostile people. And you owe it to posterity to ensure that that child under your care does not become another statistic of hostility.
Kindness can be learned and you can teach it to your children if you truly desire to.
Kindness makes the world a better place for all.
Be kind, act kindness, live kindness.
- Ugoma Johnson is a journalist, published author of 3 books, a social worker, and founder, Teens Empowerment And Rehabilitation Centre (TercHub), a foundation that is saddled with the mandate to curb teenage pregnancy, illiteracy and period poverty, through transformational teachings, provision of school materials and sanitary pads for teenagers in ruler communities.
