Kids
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One of the most important parts of my life is teaching my children to be good people. Yes, I hope the excel in school and find things that they are passionate about. But in the end, I want other people to say, 'Hey, those Brainard kids sure are nice people.' A big part of that is teaching your kids empathy. It's a tough lesson especially living in the times we do today. So how can you get the message of empathy through to your kids?

  • A family mantra - Come up with a family saying like 'Our family helps people, and never hurts people.' It might sound overly simple, but according to studies, the families that did this had kids that remembered the family mantra when they became adults.
  • Make sure YOU live by the same rules - Teach by example. And if you ever have to apologize for something, make sure you mean it and explain why you're wrong.
  • A nice list - Put a list of nice things that they can do for others on the fridge at home. Have them try to do two of them a day.

The toughest part? Not rewarding them for doing something nice. They need to learn that this type of behavior is to be expected. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to make your kids well rounded, kind people.

 

[via CNN]

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