Hey everyone, I’m trying to find some good ways to get my kids to be kinder to each other and others. I’ve heard positive reinforcement can work well, but I’m not sure exactly how to go about it. Anyone have any tips or things that have worked for their kids? Looking for practical ideas I can try out at home. Thanks!
We started a simple ‘kindness jar’ at home. Kids get a marble when we catch them being kind. Full jar means a family treat.
My 9-year-old loves it. My 12-year-old pretends not to care, but I see her sneaking in kind acts too.
I’ve found that modeling kindness goes a long way. Kids pick up on how we treat others, so I try to be extra mindful of my own actions.
Recently, I started pointing out kind things I notice my son doing, like helping a neighbor or sharing with a friend. He seems to enjoy the positive attention and looks for more opportunities to be kind.
It’s not perfect, but I’ve seen some improvement in how he treats others since we started focusing on kindness more.
I’m really curious about this too. My 5-year-old can be sweet one minute and a handful the next. I’ve been trying to catch those kind moments and give lots of praise.
The other day, she shared her favorite toy with a friend without being asked. I made a big deal about how nice that was. She seemed to light up from the positive attention.
I like the kindness jar idea. Has anyone tried something similar with younger kids? I wonder if my daughter would understand the concept or if it’s better for older children.
I hear you on wanting to encourage kindness! When my kids were younger, we stumbled onto something that worked pretty well. We started a ‘kindness calendar’ where we’d write down one kind thing each kid did every day. It could be small, like sharing a toy or helping set the table.
At the end of the week, we’d look back at all the kind acts. The kids loved seeing their good deeds listed out. It became a fun challenge for them to come up with new ways to be kind.
Over time, I noticed they started being nicer to each other without prompting. It wasn’t perfect - they still had their moments - but it definitely helped. Plus, it was a nice way to end each day on a positive note. 
Have you tried anything like that before? It might be worth a shot if you’re looking for new ideas!
In our house, we’ve found that focusing on the positive moments really helps encourage kindness. We started a simple routine where we share one kind thing we saw each other do during dinner.
At first, the kids struggled to come up with examples. But after a while, they started noticing more. My oldest even caught me being patient with a tough customer on the phone and mentioned it at dinner!
It’s not perfect - they still argue sometimes. But I’ve noticed they’re quicker to apologize or offer help now. The other day, my youngest shared her snack with a friend without being asked.
Small steps, but it’s encouraging to see them thinking about kindness more often. Have you tried anything like this before?