While it’s important to raise kids who are smart and independent, it’s also just as vital to make sure they grow up with good hearts. Kids have an innate goodness and it’s a parent’s duty to preserve and nurture this each day. Making sure they are surrounded with love and guidance takes consistency. Simple daily habits can make a world of difference. Here are 7 of them.
1. Loving and respecting your partner
A happy and beautiful marriage is one that endures daily struggles. Your relationship with your spouse will largely shape the way your kids view relationships as they grow up. They look closely at the way you relate to your spouse, so make sure you communicate in loving, respectful ways, even at times when you don’t necessarily agree with one another, even when things don’t work out.
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2. Your positive outlook on life
Your perspective on the world informs the way you relate to your kids. Don’t dwell on the negatives, even when it comes to your child’s “bad behavior.” Scolding is part of parenting, but you should also assure them that you believe that they can do better.
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3. A happy home atmosphere
Your positivity should radiate through every corner of your life and home. Nothing beats a comfortable, clean, and loving home as the perfect place to nurture a kind-hearted child. Problems are unavoidable, but you can always control how you respond to them.
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4. Treating others with respect
Watch out how you treat those you come in contact with. If you’re rude to the restaurant server or bank teller, it’s like you’re telling kids it’s alright to act this way. Psychologist Jerry Wyckoff believes parents should model the kind of respect they “demand from their kids,” adding, “We get confused because often, our upbringing makes us equate respect with fear: ‘I really respected my father because I knew he’d hit me if … ‘ That’s not respect — that’s fear.”
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5. Being involved in a supportive community
It takes a village to raise a child, so make sure it is a good village. Surround your family with positive individuals, who will help you raise your kids in a caring environment. More than finding good role models, parents can also encourage kids to give back to their community, to expand the area of their concern, to help out a cause they believe in, or share their passion and skills.
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6. Putting them in a good school
This doesn’t mean you have to put them in an expensive school just to make sure they’re raised right. They can either attend private school or public school or even be homeschooled. The important thing is making the best choice for them because peers play a huge role in shaping the person they grow up to be.
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7. Making sure they consume good media
Each day, they are exposed to TV, Radio, social media, and the internet. So make sure they are only exposed to the good stuff. Communicate with them to make sure they’re getting the right values from what they watch. Remember that even “kid-friendly” shows can teach bad habits.
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What other ways can you make kids more kind-hearted each day, moms and dads? We’d love to hear from you!
READ: Do these 5 things to raise truly “good kids”, say psychologists
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