Nurturing Kindness in Young Children
Nurturing Kindness in Young Children
Parenting a preschooler can be challenging, and we hope that this newsletter will add to your parenting toolbox by delivering inspiration and expert advice to your inbox each month. Do you have burning parenting questions or a topic that you would like us to cover in a future newsletter? We would love your input! Please contact Nicole Casey at ncasey@fayschool.org with any questions, comments, or feedback.
BOOK CLUB - Be Kind
Most preschool age children are self-centered, and kindness can be a difficult concept for them to grasp. If this sounds like your child, don't worry! It is developmentally appropriate for young children to act this way, but you can help them become more kind and considerate of others. Books like Be Kind can inspire children to spread kindness through simple, meaningful acts. For more tips about nurturing your child's kindness, continue reading below.
LITERACY AND NUMERACY - Wordless Picture Books
One way that children can learn about kindness is by spreading kindness themselves. Reading a book to a younger sibling, grandparent, or lonely neighbor can be an easy way for a young child to spread kindness, but most preschool age children can't read yet. However, wordless picture books offer the perfect solution!
Wordless picture books are great for developing early literacy skills, and they also give children a sense of pride that they actually "read" a book to someone. Wordless picture books help children craft a story, and "there's a direct connection between a child's ability to tell a story and their ability to be a good writer later in life," says Jill Cordon, Fay's Speech and Language Therapist. Click here to learn more about the benefits of wordless picture books and for a suggested book list.
ARTS & CRAFTS - Painted Flower Pots
Materials Needed:
  • flower pots
  • water-resistant paint
  • paint brushes
  • soil
  • flowers or seeds
Instructions:
1. Gather your flower pots and painting materials and ask your child to decorate each pot. To practice kindness, you can tell them that each flower pot will be given to someone as a gift and that they can personalize their creations to make them unique for each recipient.
2. As your child is painting, talk with them about the positive feelings that the recipient will feel when they receive their flower pot. When children develop an awareness of how kindness feels, they will start to see the impact that they can have on others when they reach out with kind acts. 
3. After the flower pot is complete and the paint is dry, you and your child can select flowers or seeds to place in the pot and then deliver it as a gift.
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE - Manners
At Fay, we emphasize civility and good manners - and visitors are often surprised to have a door held open for them by a young student or to see that our students are as comfortable greeting and talking to adults as they are talking with one another. The main reason why our students act in this way is because they see their teachers and peers demonstrate good manners, and kindness is part of our community culture. By practicing good manners yourself at home, you child will learn by your example, but you can also click here for an article from Parents magazine that has more tips to teach your child manners.
FIELD TRIP - Cradles to Crayons
From now until May 14, Cradles to Crayons, a charity that provides children in need with essential items, is running a Clean for Kicks partnership with ScrubaDub Car Wash. You and your child can donate a pair of new or gently used shoes at any ScrubaDub location in return for a free UltraShine Hot Wax. This is a great opportunity to model kindness to your child, and you can get them involved by letting them pick the shoes to donate. Alternatively, you could also make a donation to Cradles to Crayons at one of their drop-off locations.
PARENTING ADVICE - Five Tips for Raising a Kind Kid
You might not think that kids are experiencing a kindness deficit these days with slogans like Kindness Matters and Choose Kind in the zeitgeist. However, a majority of parents believe that they are. In the Parents Value Study released by Parents magazine last fall, 76% of moms said kids are less kind today than in previous generations. Furthermore, 73% of moms identified kindness as the most important quality they hope to instill in their child. But, how do you raise a child to be kind and considerate of others? What are the behaviors and activities that will help to build that foundation? Here are some tips for intentionally nurturing kindness in your child.
Five Tips for Raising a Kind Kid
Kindergarten is the beginning of your child's educational journey.
Make sure it's a strong start.
Learn more about Fay's approach to kindergarten by scheduling a virtual tour with one of our admission officier. Interested in applying to Fay for the fall? Click here to learn more about applying.
Learn more about kindergarten at Fay.
FAY SCHOOL   48 Main Street   Southborough, MA   01772   508-490-8201   www.fayschool.org
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