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Highlights State of the Kid Report 2017 #WorldKindnessDay

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Have you heard of the Highlights State of the Kid Report?

You can find the 2017 State of the Kid Report on the Highlights for Children website.ย ย The report was released today, on World Kindness Day!

Each year, Highlights interviews thousands of children ages 6-12, and each year, parents and educators learn exactly what children think and feel about important topics.

highlights state of the kid 2017 | world kindness day | teachmama

In the 2017 SOTK report, the findings centered on kindness, caring, and empathy. These are totally hot topics right now, and they should be.

Like each one of us, the great folks at Highlights has been witnessing unkind encounters play out in almost every aspect of daily life. So they wondered:ย  how much of this are kids seeingโ€”and how is it influencing their thinking about how we talk to and behave toward one another?

They asked kidsโ€”the worldโ€™s most important people the following questions:

  • What messages are they hearing from their parents and the other adults in their lives about theย importance of kindness?
  • Are they hearing that adults value caring behaviors?
  • Do kids witness their parents or other adults behaving rudely, and, if so, h
    ow does itย 
    make them feel? Does our next generation understand what it means to be empathetic?

Arenโ€™t these incredibly powerful questions? I thought so.

And they jive seamlessly with the release of this report on World Kindness Day. I love it!

Here’s the skinny. . .

Highlights State of the Kid Report, 2017:ย 

Iโ€™m thrilled to share with you some of the big takeaways from this report:

1.) Parents think they are teaching kindness, but kids are getting a different message.

When asked if they felt their parents wanted them to be kind, be happy, or do well in school, kindness ranked last. Making Caring Common, a project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, asked this question toย middle and high school students nationally, and the results of their survey are similar to our findings with younger children.

2.) Actions are caught: Kids notice and are impacted when adults act unkindly, and it influences how they process feelings and manage conflict.

3.) Kids have a basic understanding of empathy, creating natural conversation opportunities for adults to reinforce empathetic behavior into adolescence and beyond, even in difficult situations.

4.) When asked what one thing they would change in the world, nearly half of kids answered they want a kinder world.

Important discoveries, right? I think so–especially the first one, that children are getting a different message than most parents want them to get.

But now what?

Here are some of the big action items from the 2017 report. Hereโ€™s what parents can do with this information:

Talk About Kindess

  • When you act unkindly and your kids witness it, circle back and have a conversation with them about it. Explain your feelings at the moment, how you reflected on your mistake, and made amends. This will go a long way in helping kids understand that we are not perfect, nor do we expect perfection from them.
  • Use everyday moments to teach a kindness lesson. For instance, in addition to asking your kids about their day when they come home from school or at dinner, ask them if they did something kind today. Or did someone do something kind for them?
  • Use mealtime conversations to highlight your family values. Perhaps similar to a companyโ€™s mission and values statement, you could come up with a list of family values and priorities and display it in a common space at home. Let your children know that qualities such as hard work, kindness, tolerance, and honesty are valued in your home.

Model Conflict Resolution

  • Help your child understand that conflict is part of everyday life. Point out conflicts on a television show or at the grocery store and talk about how the situations were resolved. Remind kids of times at home when your family members had differences of opinion, say, whether to go biking or hiking on the weekend, and how you reached a satisfying conclusion.
  • Talk about how resolving conflict does not mean that we will all agree in the end. It means we are coming to an understanding of each otherโ€™s feelings and respecting them. Listening to anotherโ€™s point of view is important.

Think About the Perspective of Others

  • Acknowledge that itโ€™s not always easy to be kind, that sometimes issues raise feelings in us that arenโ€™t pleasant. But itโ€™s important to think about the other personโ€™s perspective and experiences and then, together, come up with strategies on the best ways to help, whether itโ€™s joining a group that does service work around that issue, such as disaster relief, or writing a letter to an elected official to advocate on behalf of that issue.
  • Use literature, movies, even games to show your children how other people live. This way, they can begin to understand feelings of empathy for others.

Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

 

  • Remind your kids that the โ€œtruthโ€ is often subjective. Point out that whether or not they like someoneโ€™s outfit or haircut is really a matter of opinion. Tell them to think first about the statement theyโ€™ll make and how it may impact the recipient.
  • Let your kids know there are lots of ways to be kind and not lie. Talk through different scenarios with your kids and show them that the way you respondโ€”your approach, your tone of voice, and your willingness to listenโ€”can make a difference. Equip them with language and strategies.

Accentuate theย  Positive

  • Find ways to focus on happiness or boost happiness through gratitude. Recognizing and being thankful for what we have and feeling good about it is one way. Have children keep a gratitude journal. At dinneror before bedtime, ask your child to share one thing he was thankful for that day.
  • Whenever possible, point out people in the worldโ€”your neighborhood, your community, your schoolโ€”who are doing good deeds.ย Save news stories about heroes whoโ€™ve gone out of their way to help others in time of need and share them with your kids.
  • Perform random acts of kindness. From the simple act of holding a door for someone to participating in food or clothing drives to sending a note or calling someone just to see how she is doing, show your kids that small acts can make a big difference, that they can become change agents one step at a time.

Want to learn a little more about past State of the Kid Reports and my coverage of them?ย 

Check out:

high time for magazines: Highlights for Children's High-Five Magazine | hi-five | high five middle school bethlehem pa teachmama.com

 

 

fyi: This is a sponsored post, written as part of a partnership between me and my friends at Highlights for Children. As always, my opinion is all my own, influenced only by my experience as an educator and parent.

 

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

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Celebrate, we will! โ€˜Cause life is short but sweet for certain. . . 

What a weekend. So incredibly proud of all of these talented athletes!

๐Ÿ† 3rd in the state of Maryland for @sherwoodcheerleading ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿค

UMD Womenโ€™s Basketball won todayโ€” great job by @marylandcheer โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ–ค

#lovethesegirls #cheerweekend #marylandlife #lifeinmaryland #moco
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This Sugarfina Advent Calendar is what your teens want. 

$33 shipped TO YOUR DOOR w my 10% off and FREE SHIPPING!

Normally itโ€™s $60! 

I have been sharing my fave, super-COOL, Advent Calendars for teens and adults in my stories today!

This one right here was ours from last year, and we โค๏ธ LOVED it!

It is made by @sugarfina and each day we were surprised with FABULOUS sweet treats! 

Good-bye to the ole, crappy, tinfoil chocolates. Weโ€™re taking fun, new, and different candies each day of the month!

Grab it here: zulily.gfpv.net/MX9Ngn

#linkinbio @zulily #adventcalendars #adventforteens
View
Open
Hey #MoCo Voters, Itโ€™s #ElectionDay2022! 

Do you need a ride to the polls? If you do, @VOTE411 and @lyft has got you covered! 

So, #NoExcuses. Get out there and make your voice heard!

#VotePlan #VoteReady #expectus #MomsDemandAction #appleballot #MCEA
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Get out and VOTE. 

Please. 

Not sure where to vote? https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/

#midtermelections #getoutandvote๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ #linkinbio
View
Open
Did you have a chance to join my IG live today?

It was a rainy, gross Sunday here in Maryland, and I shared one of my top picks for the holidaysโ€”> LEGO but for BIG KIDS. 

Or GRANDPARENTS. 

Or PARENTS. 

Actually ANY grown-up who likes to unplug once in a while and CREATE. 

I showed how I was doing with the LEGO Flower Bouquet (๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’๐ŸŒผ) and how many other awesome sets are 15% off and FREE SHIPPING (yayyyyy!!) over on @zulily ๐Ÿ’œ. 

Check it out. Theyโ€™ve got a ton of sets to choose from, like 
Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Friends, Disney, Mario Brosโ€”you name it. 

Find them here: https://zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

Fab prices + free shipping = BIG WIN. 

#linkinbio #ad #LEGOforgrownups #everyonelovesLEGO #holidaypicks
View
Open
LEGO at 15% off and FREE SHIPPING! 

Check out the AWESOME set that is PERFECT for teens, grandparents, and ANY grownup who likes to create! 

This bouquet will last forever!

๐ŸŒผ๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’

Use this link โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

#bestgiftsforkids #grandparentgifts #ad #LEGOforgrownups @zulily
View
Open
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Since Zulily carries such a vast array of items, it could be ANYthing: 

๐Ÿ’œ boutique-style clothes or shoes

๐Ÿค brand-name clothing & shoes

๐Ÿ’œ toys

๐Ÿค books or magazines 

๐Ÿ’œ pantry items, snacks, & treats

๐Ÿค haircare or cosmetics 

๐Ÿ’œ pet toys, treats, or accessories 

๐Ÿค personalized gifts

๐Ÿ’œ houseplants, seeds, or bulbs

๐Ÿค basics for kids through adults

๐Ÿ’œ craft supplies and kits

๐Ÿค furniture or home goods

๐Ÿ’œ designer handbags, sunglasses, or belts

๐Ÿค luxury items and gifts

๐Ÿ’œ sports equipment 

๐Ÿค sports gear for ALL fansโ€”NFL, MLB, NCAA, you name it

๐Ÿ’œ small appliances & kitchen items

๐Ÿค towels, sheets, blankets, linens

๐Ÿ’œ home storage & organization items

๐Ÿค coats, hats, scarves 

๐Ÿ’œ just about anything you can imagine!

Follow my stories for the deals and steals for families and educators, or check the Zulily Highlight!

Especially nowโ€”as we move into the exciting holiday seasonโ€”I will more frequently share items, and they will MOVE QUICKLY! 

So make sure you are checking in regularly, and pleaseโ€”if you are looking for specific items and a specific price point, let me know! 

I am happy to do some research to help you out!

๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ

#zulilypartner #linkinbio #ad #holiday #giftgiving bestgifts

Want to check it out for yourself? zulily.gfpv.net/teachmama
View
Open
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฅ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸจ

THE best toy for kidsโ€”and classrooms!โ€”is on sale right now. 

The 101-piece PicassoTile Building Set (WITH CARRYING CASE!)
is only $34.99 on Zulily WITH an extra 15% off!

Stock upโ€”think: teachers, daycare providers, classrooms!
AND birthdays, holidays or rainy days!

This is a toy that I cannot recommend highly enoughโ€”perfect for littles through elemor middle school. 

From a tween I know and love: The *click* of the magnetic blocks is so satisfying, and honestly, theyโ€™re just really fun and relaxing to use. 

๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸง๐ŸŸฉ

hereโ€™s the link that will get you AN ADDITIONAL 15% off โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/JrDdbE

And remember: FREE SHIPPING ON orders of $89+

#ad #linkinbio #besttoysforkids #dealoftheday

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