Teach Your Children Kindness When Interacting With Kids with Special Needs

“ I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help. There is no mistaking love…it is the common fiber of life, the flame that heats our soul, energizes our spirit and supplies passion to our lives.”  – Quote by Late Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist.

We are taught from an early age to be kind and respectful to all living beings. But how many of us actually practice it in daily life? We all are afraid, hostile, and vary from the ‘other” – people who look, talk, behave, and live differently from us.  This relates to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, economic background, disabilities and disorders, and so on. Fear or a lack of understanding/empathy can translate into different forms of abuse – physical, verbal, mental, or emotional.  We can be abusive/unkind at times without even realizing it and the same can be picked up by our children simply by observing our behavior to others around us. Children are like sponges soaking up all that they see, hear, read, and feel around them. Below we have listed some ways to teach Your Children Kindness When Interacting with Kids with Special Needs: 

• Be a positive role model. As mentioned above what you say or do is important, so it is imperative that you set the standards of kindness with your acts /words of kindness, support, empathy, and understanding. Let them observe you in action with children with special needs. Role modeling is a constant ‘ work in progress ‘ and the child picks up from your cues.  
• Reward kind words/gestures of your children. Be sure to acknowledge and reward your child for their support, friendship, and kindness to their peers with special needs (or even otherwise in general). The more you do it, the more they will move on the path of kindness, love, and empathy in their journey of life. 
• Be alert to the messaging they pick up on media and social media. These two forms of communication have positive and negative sides. Therefore it is important that you monitor and educate them on what they watch, read, or listen to. A constant proactive approach will ensure that only positive messaging is received. Books that dwell on topics of empathy, kindness, etc should be a part of their reading/bedtime stories repertoire.  
• Personal interaction and engagement from a young age. From a young age, let them meet and become familiar with children with special needs in your social circle, neighborhood, or community. The more time spent with them translates into a sentiment of acceptance and understanding. Let them get exposure to people of different backgrounds. 
• Explain that name calling, abusive words, or exclusion is as wrong & unacceptable as physical violence. If you see/hear your child teasing, name-calling, or excluding children in school, home, public settings, or playgrounds/parks, swing into action right away. Counsel them as often as needed so they understand the gravity and refrain from doing any such acts / speaking words that are hurtful & harmful to others.