26 Hudson Valley Parent
n
April 2020
Just like learning to read or
add and subtract, acting in a kind,
empathetic manner is a skill that
typically requires both teaching and
practice before achieving mastery.
KINDNESS
(Continued from Page 24)
And even then, there are always be
more lessons learned, more growth
to be achieved, as well as making-
mistakes along the way. So how can
parents facilitate this learning for
our children?
While character education is
typically part of the curriculum in
most public schools, practicing those
social skills they learn at school in
the home is almost always benefi-
cial to a young child.
Valencia has daily discussions
with her two youngest children
about the importance of kindness,
using the context of sibling rivalry
to help paint a relatable picture on
the importance of showing com-
passion. She also models for them
what caring should look like. "Even
though they love each other and
are inseparable, they do constantly
pester one another," she said. "We
have numerous discussions, as well
as role-playing practice about shar-
ing, talking nicely to each other,
and apologizing when feelings get
hurt."
Teig-Morris teaches her daugh-
ters what kindness and empathy
truly mean by real-world applica-
tions of both concepts, particularly
around the holiday season when
children often get wrapped up in
Victoria Valencia of Wallkill, here with her
two younger kids, ages six and three-and-
a-half, uses kid-friendly language when
talking with her children about treating
people with kindness.
