Here are five random acts of kindness that you can get your toddler to do to teach them an extremely important life lesson.
Pre-dinner notes
Toddlers have yet to master the art of writing but that doesn’t mean they can’t send a little note to family and friends. Just before dinner, get your little one to draw a heart (or a scribble) for each family member and encourage them to leave it at the person’s place setting. A simple act that will give your youngster immediate gratification when he/she sees you all responding positively.
Get them to give away a toy
Encourage your little one to give away a toy to someone they think will get happiness out of it, like a sibling. It doesn’t have to be a favourite one nor does it have to go to charity but considering kids can be very possessive over their toys, getting them to give one away is definitely a sign that you are on the right track.
Write a thank you card
Writing thank you cards is a great opportunity to show your little one how to be kind. After a birthday party or even after they have had a play at a friend’s house, encourage them to spend time drawing a card to show that they are thankful to the other person.
Let someone go first at the swings
The queue for the swings can be quite long so encourage your little one to let the person behind them to go first. Don’t force them to do it though. This is definitely something that your youngster needs to want to do.
Collect change and give it to charity
Most households have loose change floating around down the back of the couch or in the car that can be used to help others. Give your youngster a jar or a bowl and get them to go around the house collecting any change that they can find. When they have finished, encourage them to pop it into a charity box in your local shop or send it off as a small donation.
