Last week I sent you all on a mission to find a space in nature to observe. The real lesson is in teaching kiddos to notice things. When we take the time to notice the small moments we are teaching our children awareness of the greater world.
Nature is a space where children step outside of themselves and their wants. The world as a whole is vast, but an individual plant or bird is tangible. Taking notice of these small things will help them to process and understand the interconnectivity of our world through their experiences. Similarly the idea of kindness is much larger than the definition of a single word. By breaking this down and highlighting small moments we are teaching meaning through action.
Once your kindness tree is up, encourage your child to look for kind acts that others do. As parents we can highlight our children’s kindness, and encourage them to notice others. The goal is not to fill the tree, but on occasion to add to it. The best lessons are ones that we can return to again and again. The Kindness Tree serves two goals in that we can encourage our children to be kind, as well as to see the kindness in the world.
– Teacher Allisen