Teaching Kindness in Childcare: A Complete Guide for Early Educators

Children are capable of showing kindness from early childhood, and it’s up to the adult caregivers in their lives to define, teach, and model kindness for them. Teaching kindness in childcare settings is one of the most valuable gifts educators can give young learners. In the following guide, we explore five effective ways childcare providers can help develop kindness in toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond. Learning how to be kind is a lesson that will take little ones far in life, and it’s never too early to begin. Keep reading to discover proven strategies for teaching kindness in childcare.

Defining Kindness for Children

Before we can expect young children to show kindness, we first must define kindness for them in age-appropriate terms. When teaching kindness in childcare, you could use the following basic definitions to help small children begin to understand the concept:

“Kindness means acting friendly, helpful, or generous toward someone.”

“When you’re kind, you treat others how you would want them to treat you.”

“Showing kindness involves thinking about how your actions make someone feel.”

Building on the Foundation

Of course, these are only a few examples of the many ways to describe kindness to young children. The important thing is to use language they can understand and give examples that relate to their life. Once you give children a basic definition of kindness, you can build on this foundation by teaching and modeling kindness, as well as providing opportunities for children to show kindness to themselves, peers, and adults.

Five Strategies for Teaching Kindness in Childcare

1. Read books about kindness, and talk about them.

Stories are a wonderful way to teach toddlers and preschoolers about kindness. Choose engaging, age-appropriate books about showing kindness, compassion, empathy, generosity, or other similar themes. Talk about the stories after you read them aloud during story time. Point out which characters showed kindness, what acts of kindness were shown, and how both givers and receivers of kind words or actions felt. Show children how they can act kindly toward others, like the characters in the story.

2. Be a role model and show kindness everywhere you go.

Children will learn how to be kind by the example you give them. Modeling kindness is essential when teaching kindness in childcare environments. Consider what you say and how you say it (words), as well as what you do and how you do it (actions). The way you treat other childcare staff, volunteers, parents, community members, and, of course, the children in your care provides a real-life example of kindness to little ones. Recognize the impact your modeling of kindness will have on children’s ability to see and imitate kindness themselves.

3. Encourage and acknowledge acts of kindness.

When you see children acting kindly toward adults or other children, be sure to encourage and acknowledge their acts of kindness. Consider the following examples:

“Jamal, that’s so kind of you to share your crayons with Aria.”

“Oops! It looks like Bryce tripped on his shoelace. Can you ask him if he’s alright?”

“Let’s say thank you to Mr. Hernandez for helping out with our class party today.”

Identifying specific kind words and actions, as well as the people for whom they are intended, can help children recognize kind behaviors in themselves and others. Suggesting ways to show kindness to others can also help children see themselves as facilitators of kindness. Be specific, be encouraging, and be intentional in your affirmation of budding acts of kindness.

4. Understand that showing kindness isn’t always easy.

As is the case with adults, it’s important to understand that showing kindness is not always easy for children. We don’t always “feel” like being kind, especially when someone is less than kind toward us, and children are no different. Understanding that sharing your favorite toy, letting someone else take a turn, or pausing a fun activity to say “Thank you” can be hard for children will help you give them grace during difficult moments. Praise and affirmation are all the more important at moments when kindness doesn’t come easy.

5. Be patient as children learn.

Finally, teaching kindness to children requires lots and lots of patience. Early childhood is filled with ups and downs, smooth days and tough ones, progress and setbacks. When teaching kindness in childcare, approach it as more of a journey than a destination, but remember it’s never too early to take the first steps. Be patient with yourself and your little ones as you look for opportunities to foster kindness in your early learning classroom.

Making Teaching Kindness in Childcare a Priority

Teaching kindness in childcare is an investment in children’s social and emotional development that pays dividends throughout their lives. By defining kindness clearly, modeling it consistently, and creating opportunities for practice, childcare providers can help shape compassionate, empathetic young learners. We hope these ideas give you the inspiration you need to teach kindness to the children in your care!

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