142: Teaching Kids the Power of Kindness with Rachel Tomlinson

Many things may change over the years, but something that we want to instill in our kids is that it's always cool to be kind. In my opinion, kindness is beginning to be a lost art in our world. We hear so much negativity and unkind things in the news and media that it's spilling into our everyday lives. Fortunately, we are our children's greatest teachers (and they are ours). We can make a difference in our world by starting at home. Teaching our kids the power of kindness can lead to so many wonderful things for them. Our guest, Rachel Tomlinson, knows all about it (she literally wrote the book) and is sharing her words of wisdom. Who is Rachel Tomlinson? Rachel Tomlinson is a registered psychologist and internationally published author of "Teaching Kids to Be Kind" and "A Blue Kind of Day" (a picture book on depression). Rachel has worked with adults, families, and children (birth through 18 years old) in a variety of settings, including play therapy, children’s residential facilities, education settings, trauma counseling, and parenting support programs. She has presented at national conferences on mental health topics as well as guest lectured about domestic violence and relationships at colleges and universities. She also serves as a subject matter expert for journalists on topics such as parenting, child development, and relationships. We love having her as a contributor at Baby Chick, and we are excited to now have her here on our podcast! Rachel resides with her family in Perth, Australia. What Did We Discuss? In this episode, we chat with Rachel about teaching kids to be kind, what kindness really looks like, and tips and strategies to encourage kids to be kind. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation: As parents, one of our greatest hopes is that our children grow up to be good people. What qualities do you think make a good person? At what age do you think children are able to understand the concept of kindness and what it means? How would you define kindness to a child? Can you share some examples of what kindness looks like to children? What are the long-term benefits of teaching kindness to our children at a young age? What are some practical strategies parents can use to encourage kindness in children? What role does leading by example play, and what are some ways parents can model kindness for their children? What are some common challenges parents face when teaching kindness to children, and how can they be overcome? As parents, how should we react when our children exhibit behavior that is unkind? What are your top tips for teaching kindness to kids? Rachel shared relatable stories and powerful advice when it comes to teaching our kids about kindness. Be sure to listen! Rachel's Resources Website: towardwellbeing.com Instagram: @towardwellbeing Rachel's author page at Baby Chick Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to being kind and raising a kinder generation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices