Each month, Nowlin focuses on a pillar of character. We meet as a school for a PBIS assembly and meet in small groups for an activity. November focuses on the pillar of Caring. Here are some easy tips parents can use to help their child act in an even more caring way towards others.

1. Be a role model. Our kids are soaking in everything we do and say. Make sure your child catches you acting caring and compassionate towards others. You might offer to help someone struggling to hold packages in line at the post office, call or send a card to a relative who is sick, or any number of other things. If you volunteer your time in a more formal way, make sure your child knows what you do and why it is important to you. Talk about caring as an important value in your family.

2. Use story or TV time to teach compassion. Reading a book or watching a TV show with your child provides a great framework for talking about caring and compassion. Help your child think about what motivates a character by asking, “What were they thinking or how were they feeling when they said or did that?” Since we all want to teach our kids the consequences of their actions, a good follow up question could be, “How do you think that made the other person (or animal, if relevant) feel?” And of course, if one of the characters in the book or show misses an opportunity to be kind ask, “Why do you think they chose not to do anything?” Finally, help your child connect what they are hearing or seeing with their own life. Asking, “What would you have done in that situation?” is a great way to do that.

3. Participate in a family activity. Volunteering can be a great activity for family time. As new activities begin in the fall, think about scheduling formal volunteer opportunities. Talk to your kids about starting the tradition of volunteering as a family. Some families participate in a food drive every year during a particular holiday time like Thanksgiving. Others commit to a particular walk-a-thon or park clean up each year. Let your kids be part of the planning process by helping choose an activity and/or a population to support. With younger children, you can provide a list of several choices and let them pick. Older children can help you research different volunteer opportunities in your community.  Families often describe feeling closer, more like a team, and fulfilled when they share a volunteer experience together.