#28 - Kindness Is More Than Being Nice

What does it mean to be kind in an early years setting? It can be easy to treat kindness as following the rules: sharing when asked, taking turns, saying sorry, or earning praise for being helpful. But children need more than a list of behaviours to copy. They need to experience empathy and care in their everyday relationships.

In this episode of Eyes On Us, we talk about helping kindness grow without turning it into compliance or a transaction. That means giving children room to notice how others feel, while also helping them understand that they have boundaries and can say no. Sharing can be kind, but children should not feel they must give something up every time someone else wants it. We also explore the role adults play.

Children learn what kindness feels like through the way we speak to them, respond to mistakes, listen patiently, respect their boundaries, and treat other adults. Kindness becomes part of a setting’s culture through everyday interactions, not just signs on the wall or a reward chart. When children disagree, adults can slow down, acknowledge what is happening, and help them think about how to work it out together. And when a child is struggling, looking beyond the behaviour can help us respond with empathy while still holding clear boundaries.

How can we help children experience kindness, rather than simply perform it?