it’s COOL to be kind

These days, kindness can be seen as weakness and not necessarily cool. Our kids are exposed to things in media that depict being cool as having popularity based on status and attention. Sadly, a lot of times, those who are considered cool aren’t always kind. We need to flip the script for our children by showing them that being kind and accepting of others is the coolest thing they can be.

bullying beyond the schoolyard
Remember the big bully in the schoolyard when you were a kid who would prey upon those weaker than them for lunch money and embarrass and torment anyone that showed fear? The problem with bullies hasn’t disappeared since we were kids, and unless we as parents collectively do something about it, bullies will always be a presence in our world. That doesn’t mean we have to settle for bullying behavior.
Today’s world is a very different place than when we were growing up. While it’s certainly disheartening to us, imagine how it is for our kids. When we were young, we only had bullies in the schoolyard. Now, bullies can come from all angles. Social media makes it easy for people to hide behind their computers and say the nastiest of things. With social media, bullies can even go beyond the school grounds to access our kids, making them the subject of ridicule in the form of memes, Snapchats, and other methods.

a child’s role with bullying
For many parents, it’s a shock to get a call from school alerting them that their child is bullying others. Our kids can act out for many reasons. For some, they’re mimicking what they see at home. For others, they are coping with difficulties like the loss of a loved one or even trying to compensate for their own perceptions of inadequacy.

It is just as upsetting to hear that someone is bullying your child. The protective mother/father bear wants to come out and shelter our little one from any harshness that they may face in this world. A parent is left with a difficult decision on how to handle the situation. Each circumstance is unique and complex making it impossible to know for sure what one method will be the right solution. Of course, that doesn’t mean that your kid should ever have to endure attacks, verbal or physical. You should step in and make sure the school is aware of the problem and working with you toward a resolution. Whether your child is bullying or being bullied, we can all come together to make school a safe and wonderful place for our kids.

start at home
It all starts with each of us teaching our kids that it’s cool to be kind. We as parents, need to talk with our children about how important it is for them to show kindness, acceptance and respect to everyone they meet and come in contact with. Our children must realize that what makes us all different makes us all special. Our differences are what make us really cool! We don’t all have to dress the same, enjoy the same music, or come from the same background or even country that the other comes from to find something in common. In showing our kids that the coolest thing they can be is someone who is kind to everyone they meet, we teach them to find the beauty in everyone, no matter how different they are from us.

books to help
The following books will aid your kids in realizing the importance of their role in being kind to everyone. Helping to strengthen the message that kindness is, in fact, cool! Brunhilda’s Backwards Day by Shawna Tenney. Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler. The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts.

coloring fun
Please enjoy this free Tot Tails coloring page to help share this message with your child.