Kindness Benefits Children’s Mental Health

Sharing toys with a sibling. Including a classmate in a game of tag. Setting the table without being asked. Complimenting someone.

Kind, selfless acts like these may make your child feel good about themselves, which may boost their mood.

Performing acts of kindness releases the “feel-good” brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin, which help people feel happier, calmer and less anxious. Kind acts also help people feel more socially connected and less lonely, which may reduce the risk of depression.

Children may gain a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment from performing kind acts. If they make a habit of it, their self-confidence may rise. They may become more resilient during emotionally challenging times, if they develop a strong support system because of their kind acts.

Being on the receiving end of kindness also feels good. Being treated kindly by others may help improve a child’s mood and self-confidence levels in the moment, and it may strengthen social connections over time.

Teaching Kids to Be Kind

There are many ways caregivers can teach their kids how to be kind. To boost kindness in your child, try these ideas:

• Model kindness. Your child notices what you say and do, even if they don’t always seem to be paying attention. Model behaviors that you’d like them to copy: Give your kids opportunities to see you being kind to relatives, friends, strangers and store employees.
• Give praise. Compliment your child whenever you notice them being kind. Put your praise into context, so they understand why you’re pleased with their actions. For example, say, “When you included Johnny in your game, I’m sure that made him feel really good. I am so proud of you.” We always want to praise the things we want to see more of!
• Teach empathy. Help your child understand the emotions that other people feel. Read books together, then discuss how the characters in the story felt when good or bad things happened to them. You can also talk about what your child’s friend might feel if they’ve had a bad day or they’ve been through something difficult. Role-playing is another great way to practice expressing empathy.
• Encourage inclusivity. Nobody likes to feel left out. Teach your child to recognize and celebrate differences among their peers. Ask your child to notice when someone is being excluded and invite them to join in on the activity. They may make a new friend.
• Create family kindness routines. Ask everyone to start the day off with an act of kindness. At dinnertime, have everyone talk about the ways that they were kind to others or others were kind to them.
• Volunteer together. Find age-appropriate ways for your child to do kind, selfless acts for others. They can help you make PB&J sandwiches at a soup kitchen, create holiday cards for nursing home residents or walk dogs at the local animal shelter.
• Explain the impact of kindness. Your child’s words and actions matter. Let them know that one kind act that they do could end up being the highlight of someone else’s day.

Kindness doesn’t need to cost a thing but can reap big mental health benefits, especially if you make it into an ongoing habit. Print and use our kindness cards to get your family into the kindness habit!