In preparation for World Kindness Day on Nov. 13, many residents of Tallahatchie County and nearby are doing their share to promote this rare quality in their own families.
Research has shown that instilling kindness in children from birth can lay the groundwork for healthy relationships and can teach them to cultivate respect and empathy for others.
As parents of one school-aged son, Ralph and Tonya Nash understand the importance of teaching their child kindness from a young age.
“When children are taught to be kind, they will most likely grow up to be kind adults,” said Ralph. “Our son is watching everything that we do and he listens to everything that we say, so we try our best to lead by example.”
In addition to modeling acts of kindness at home, Ralph and Tonya have found the educational tools on jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, to be immensely helpful when teaching valuable lessons.
The website features animated videos and printable family activities starring Caleb and Sophia, two fictional characters who have become household names for many families.
“Our son loves watching the ‘Be Kind and Share’ Caleb and Sophia video,” said Tonya. “He loves to give to others, and that brings me so much joy.”
The Caleb and Sophia content was specifically created to help parents address the serious challenges of raising children in a hostile world, said Chad Davies, a local spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“As acts of violence continue to dominate news headlines, instilling kindness at home has never been more important,” said Chad. “Parents can benefit from all the free tools found on jw.org to raise children who live by the words found in Acts 20:35, ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”
The “Be Kind and Share” video, starring Caleb and Sophia, can be streamed for free on jw.org, which features Bible-based content in over 1,070 languages.
