The Importance of Raising Caring Children
Early learning about kindness and social skills can have a huge impact on a child’s life later on. Here are some ideas for how to raise caring children through various developmental phases.
Babies
Infants start to build their emotional structures very early on in life.
Meet your child’s basic needs & provide safety, security, & regular routines.
Express your love to your baby, showing that you care and that they are worthy of love.
Little Kids
Now they are developing a sense of self, help set limits around unsafe & unkind behaviors.
Stay calm while your child expresses big feelings. Show them ALL of their feelings are welcome.
Your child’s testing of limits is a healthy exploration and not a sign that your child is unkind.
Remember your child’s aggression can be a typical sign of the need for connection & support.
Validate and welcome emotions while firmly following through on limits.
Big Kids
Now they are understanding their impact on others & that we all make mistakes.
Help them understand that they are good & just learning how to make the right choices.
Let your child know that we all make mistakes, and we can also do things to make it right.
Model “repair” with them. Admit when you make a mistake and make a plan to reconnect.
We all have judgments that carry from our upbringing & cultures, discuss these as a family.
Get involved as a family while showing you care by giving back to your community.