Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by alli
My daughter recently received a touching birthday card from a friend at school. It read –
“You are my amazing BFF, and whenever I’m not with you, I think to myself, you’re a star who always makes me happy when I’m feeling sad.”
Not only was I proud of my daughter for being a good friend, but I was so touched by the little girl who wrote the card with her beautiful and heartfelt sentiment.
This is what school friendships should look like. By showing kindness and respect to each other, it can create a positive and inclusive school environment. What a wonderful school experience that would be for all our kids!
Kindness is a behaviour that children need to practise, and it needs to be instilled from a young age. Being kind will not only shape your daughter into being a compassionate and empathetic person, but it will play a crucial role in reducing bullying at school. I think we can all agree that bullying is out of control today.
Words Matter!
Here is a powerful quote about the words we choose to speak:
“If the words you spoke, appeared on your skin, would you still be beautiful”?
We need to bring up our daughters to understand that beauty is beyond just our physical appearance. It includes our character and how we treat other people.
One of my goals through ‘Little Girl Shining’, is to play a part in reducing bullying in schools. I hope to do this through the printable products I create for little girls, and the blog posts I write about bullying.
For me, it all starts and ends with KINDNESS. When we’re kind to someone, whether it’s with our words or actions, we never really know just how much of an impact we may have left on them.
Here is a true story I’ve never forgotten about a little girl protecting another that was being bullied.
An Amazing True Story About The Power Of Kindness
The following is a true story I shared with my subscribers in one of my Newsletters. It was so well received that I’ve decided to include it in this blog post.
A few years back, I ran a small decor business. One day, I served a lady that came in and bought a significant amount of stock. I remember noticing that she was very upbeat, and she had an excited energy about her.
When it came time to pay, the customer told me that everything she was buying was for a new home she had just purchased. Then she told me the amazing story about how it was that she was able to afford the new home and everything else to go in it.
Life Has A Way Of Surprising Us!
She said that out of the blue, she received a call one day and was told that she had been left a substantial amount of money in a deceased person’s will. She was shocked to say the least and thought it was a big mistake. When she asked who it was that left her the money, she was given a woman’s name.
That woman was someone that she went to school with decades earlier. The sad thing was my customer barely remembered the woman and was confused and couldn’t understand why the money was left to her. She was told it was because the deceased lady had never forgotten her KINDNESS.
Apparently, this lady had been teased and bullied at school a lot and my customer had stood up to the bullies one day and protected her. Sadly, my customer said she couldn’t remember this. But her act of kindness was never forgotten.
After she finished school, the lady (that was deceased) had never married and remained living with her parents her whole life. Her parents had passed away before her, and she had no other relatives she wanted to leave the money too. She simply just wanted to leave it to the kind girl who stood up for her at school one day.
That’s what I mean when I say kindness is powerful. A simple act of kindness can stay with someone for the rest of their lives!
A Pathway To Reducing Bullying In Schools
Here are 4 ways that kindness can reduce bullying at school.
1. Builds Empathy and Understanding
When a child has empathy, she is less likely to be a bully. This is because she understands the impact of her actions on others. A child that is kind and has empathy would never intentionally do or say anything to hurt another child.
2. Encourages Respectful Communication
Kind children will resolve their disagreements peacefully, rather than resorting to aggression or bullying tactics.
3. Creates a Sense of Belonging
When children feel accepted for who they are, it leads to higher self-esteem, better mental health, and improved academic performance.
4. Builds a Culture of Support
Kindness encourages children to support each other, such as standing up for a bullied school friend and helping a friend in need. When children experience the joy of helping others, they’re more likely to continue practising it throughout their lives.
The Important Role Parents Play
Without a doubt, children learn by example. They see how adults around them (parents, teachers, coaches, and the broader community) model kindness and empathy through their daily interactions with others. Never underestimate what you do or say in a situation, because if your little girl is with you, she is watching and learning from you!
How To Promote Kindness With Children
Here is one simple way to encourage your daughter to practice kindness. After school each day, instead of asking your daughter, “How was your day”? ask her, “What did you do today to help someone”?
Kindness Activity Pages
If you would like to encourage your little girl to practise kindness at school, I have the perfect worksheets for her!
For more tips, advice and free resources, don’t forget to subscribe to Little Girl Shining. You’ll be joining a group of mums with one special thing in common… we all have little girls! x