THE PILLAR OF CARING

KEY IDEAS
• Concern for others: Show compassion and empathy. Be kind, loving
and considerate in your actions. Be grateful for the things people do
for you. Forgive the shortcomings of others. Don’t be mean or cruel to
others. Be sensitive the feelings of others.
• Compassion: Children can learn that people should be considerate
and caring. Instead of ignoring hurt, confusion, anger and sadness
they can learn that people should reach out to one another. As Plato
quoted “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle!”
we can never tell what difficulties another person is facing, and your
kind word or action might make all the difference.
KEY IDEAS
• Most trouble between people begins when someone puts down
another and hurt feelings lead to bad behavior. Caring people act
different; they let the little acts of kindness lift people up instead
of putting them down. To resolve conflicts children need to learn
that people should seek reconciliation and try to understand
each other’s perspective, there are always 2 sides to the story. It
is also important to learn the ability to forgive when trying to
resolve conflicts. Forgiveness is an act of caring in and of itself.
KEY IDEAS
• Empathy: Empathy is the ability to sense and understand the feelings
of another person. It is not the same thing as feeling sorry for
someone, because sometimes when we do that we are looking down
on that person. It is important to work on our empathy skills. Nothing
makes another person feel better than to know someone understands
them.

• Charity: Be giving. Give your time, money, support and comfort to

make someone’s life better. Do this without thinking of what you will
get in return. Help people in need.
KEY IDEAS

• Giving: Children can learn that one of life’s greatest satisfactions comes
from giving to others and that each person’s talents and skills should
be shared through service to others. Rather than waiting to be asked,
children can look for opportunities to respond positively to the needs
of other’s without the expectation of reward.

• Be thankful: It is easy to complain or long for things that we don’t

have. Instead, try to be grateful for the many gifts and blessings that
we do have. Be willing to share them with others. True happiness can
only be found when we are truly content with what we do have. When
we are thankful we feel a sense of peace with ourselves and others will
want to be around us more.
Quotes

“Values are like finger prints, nobody’s are exactly the same, but you
leave them all over everything you do.” - Elvis Presley

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

“Everyone can be great because we can serve. You don’t have to have a
college degree to serve. You only need to have a heart full of grace and a
soul generated by love.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Kindness And Caring Grows In A Loving Environment
• Show your love, smile often and give plenty of hugs. This helps them learn how
to show warmth to others.

• Praise them for showing caring. Be specific with examples.

• Listen carefully. Pay attention to what they are saying, don’t rush or interrupt
them. This helps them become good listeners.
• Give responsibilities. Having responsibility can help them feel valuable and learn
to be part of a team.

• Be careful with criticism. Make clear expectations for behavior, but don’t
overreact if they are unkind. Gently explain what was wrong and how they could
behave differently.
Activities To Do At Home
• Never underestimate the power of a smile. Even if you don’t know someone, it doesn’t hurt
to smile, and it can brighten someone’s day. Smiles can be very contagious too!
• Encourage and model the art of sending thank you cards when someone has given
something or done something nice for you. Thank you notes are always appreciated.
• Continually review appropriate manners for different situations with your children. When
they forget or don’t use the appropriate manners discuss and model for them. The more we
teach and show them now the more likely they will become a permanent habit or way of life
for them later. Encourage them to be polite even when the other person is not. This can be
very hard to do, but a caring person does not want to lower themselves to the level of the
rude person. Sometimes our polite behavior can help raise the behavior of the rude person.
• Help them to be aware of good deeds that can be done without having to be asked. If you
notice something needs to be done, take the initiative and do it. These acts of kindness will
be greatly appreciated.
• As a family, make a list of all the things and gifts that you have to be thankful for. When you
wish for something that you don’t have or would like, follow it up with thanks for what you do
have.