How do you teach your children to be fearless and to be kind in a world where lack of empathy is one of the biggest issues? It’s no easy job to be a parent when bullying is on the rise and children are acting out. As a Hasbro Kindness Ambassador, I’m partnering with Hasbro to share exciting information about the BE FEARLESS BE KIND campaign and hope you’ll join me on this important journey…
My oldest son has a favorite country song he loves to listen to where the singer (Tim McGraw) conveys a lyrical message of “always stay humble and kind.” We were listening to this song on the way to basketball practice the other day when my son turned to me and said, “Mom, I really wish I could make everyone at school listen to this song and have it stick.”
I’m honestly so lucky to have such a compassionate and kind son and am tremendously proud of the man he is becoming. He is the kid who takes always being humble and kind to heart and displays it in his words and actions each day. At that teachable moment, my reply to him was that I wish we could make everyone listen to the words and take them to heart, too, but that I hoped he knew he was doing that each day by being that kind of person himself.
We often don’t think we make a difference. Being a role model makes a difference by teaching others through our words and actions. Having the courage to be kind in a world that is often not is one of the most powerful and impactful things we can do to help make the world a better, kinder place.
Knowing that my child deals with bullying and rude behaviors at school each day makes my heart hurt. Did you know that research shows that teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago (Dr. Michele Borba) and sixty-two percent of Americans say kids are less kind than they were in the past (NBC News State of Kindness Poll, 2015)? When our children suffer, as a mom, I’m right there with them and have to say, that’s one of the most challenging part of parenthood.
We don’t have to walk this path alone. BE FEARLESS BE KIND is a new initiative designed to inspire and empower kids to have the compassion, empathy and courage to stand up for others and be inclusive throughout their lives. The campaign provides valuable resources for parents and kids with the goal of building a kinder generation.
Did you know that qualities like compassion and empathy can be taught? Though I feel my son is kind by nature, there’s no “empathy gene” that a child is either born with or without. Much of what has shaped him and nudged him towards being a compassionate and empathetic person is attributable to the role models in his life. Though I cannot take full credit, I have to own that I have played a positive role in helping him bring out and use his natural abilities in a positive way. That’s a pretty awesome feeling to know that even when it seems like our kids aren’t paying attention to our actions or words, they truly are!
Together, we can nurture a generation of fearless, kind change-makers by teaching our children empathy and compassion. It’s easy to get started and put empathy into action:
And stay tuned for more ways to join in and spread kindness! We’ll be sharing more soon!
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It pains me to say this but oh my God, how different is the world we live in today compared to 30-40 years ago. I had a wonderful childhood and except for the little fights I had with some colleagues and neighbors, I can’t say that I was bullied or felt threatened at any given moment. Things are crazy these days and the fact that kids spend sooo much time alone, with a device in their hands, isn’t helping.
I’ll copy your idea and create my own rules of kindness with my Cara, she’ll love it!