I believe that teaching kids to be kind is one of the most important things that we can do for them. It doesn’t cost anything to be kind, and it not only helps those around them, but benefits them as well. There are lots of fun ways to teach kids how to be kind, and I have always loved finding new children’s books about kindness.

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Learning from Bad Kitty

Bad Kitty: Kitten Trouble was written and illustrated by Nick Bruel. In this addition to the Bad Kitty series, the bad-tempered cat has to learn to share and be kind after a nearby conflict destroys the local cat shelter. As Kitty’s owner tells her about the situation, he also suggests that they take some of the displaced kittens into their home. Kitty doesn’t like the idea and decides to go and live with the grouchy Uncle Murray, who doesn’t like to share either. Kitty eventually learns about kindness, forgiveness and misunderstandings.

The book is narrated by Kitty’s owner, with dialogue from other characters added as speech bubbles throughout the illustrations. The book is broken up into short chapters, with graphic novel style illustrations. Some pages have one image, while others have several. A few times throughout the book, the story pauses to share “Uncle Murray’s Fun Facts”, which provides the reader with interesting facts about cats. The back of the book also includes a glossary to help readers understand the French phrases used by one of the cats.

This fun book teaches a lot of important lessons about sharing, being welcoming to others, and forgiving misunderstandings. Kids will appreciate the hilarious Kitty, while parents will enjoy the lessons that she learns, as well as the sweet ending.

Teaching Kids to Be Kind

There are lots of fun and easy ways that you can teach kids to be kind. From family discussions to small acts of kindness and volunteer opportunities, you can make kindness a family activity.

Teaching Kindness Through Reading

Children’s books are always one of the first places I turn when I want to introduce a new topic to my daughter. I created this list of children’s books about kindness in the past, and I am always adding to our collection. Whenever we read together, I ask my daughter questions about the story and make connections to situations in our own lives.

You can ask these questions to guide your read aloud and help kids connect to the story:

• Why do you think that character did that?
• Was that a nice thing to do?
• What would you have done differently?
• How do you think he can make things right?
• What are some ways that we can help others like the character in the book did?

Related Post: Spread Smiles with These Children’s Books on Kindness

Small Acts of Kindness

In the book, Kitty learns that a thoughtful act can ease hurt feelings, and even solve long standing feuds. This is a great opportunity to teach kids about small acts of kindness and encourage them to try some of their own. Talk to them about a time when someone did something kind for them. How did it make them feel? What about a time that they did something nice for someone else? How did it make them feel to make someone else happy?

As a family, brainstorm some small acts of kindness that you can do for one another, and for others. Write out a list of ideas, ranging from small acts to larger ones. These can include doing small chores around the house, donating canned goods to a family in need, surprising a neighbor with a plate of cookies, or bringing the garbage cans in for an elderly neighbor. Look around your town or neighborhood for volunteer opportunities and schedule a day to volunteer as a family. Making kindness into a family activity gives you a chance to create memories while sharing your values with your kids!

We decided to surprise some of our older neighbors with a box of goodies over the holidays. Along with my mother, my daughter and I created boxes with Christmas cookies, flavored hot chocolates and teas, and cozy socks. We even put on elf hats and carried jingle bells with us while we delivered them! I loved watching my daughter get excited about sharing treats with the neighbors, and we spent a lot of time talking about the good feeling that we got from the joy on their faces.

Sharing Kindness with Someone New

In the book, Kitty must learn to share and be welcoming to others who are different from her. In the beginning, instead of welcoming the kittens into her home, she is mean and selfish. This results in disasters, hurt feelings, and lots of complications. This is a great opportunity to talk to kids about being kind to people who are different from them, and being welcoming to someone new.

As a family, brainstorm some ways that you can show kindness to a new family in your neighborhood. Introduce yourselves with a treat you made, or invite them to your house for dinner. Offer to give them a tour of the neighborhood, or invite their kids to a playdate. Kids see everything, and they will learn the importance of being kind and welcoming when they see their parents doing the same!