Share your tips for raising a kind child with the new Wonder film: chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The team behind the new Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay movie, Wonder, would love to hear your top tips for raising a kind child. The film really showcases how - as one MNer who has seen the film - says “a little bit more kindness in the world would be no bad thing”. Another Mumsnetter who saw a preview screening said “the issues raised are really important for all of us to [be] reminded of. Standing up to things that are wrong (even when it makes us unpopular), and always being kind - how many of us always live up to that?” here

Here's the synopsis: “starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay and based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.”

Wonder is rated PG & open NOW

Watch the trailer here:

So how do you encourage your child to be kind to others? Please share your top tips and experiences of kindness from your child...has your child received a reward for kindness, have they gone out of the their way to show kindness to other children or have they had a period of not being kind but have come through it and learnt how important kindness is.

Add your comment to this thread and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £300 voucher for the store of choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T and Cs apply

WONDER stars ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER JULIA ROBERTS (Eat Pray Love), ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE OWEN WILSON (Midnight in Paris), JACOB TREMBLAY (Room), MANDY PATINKIN (‘Homeland’)and IZABELA VIDOVIC (Homefront). Directed by STEPHEN CHBOSKY (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) the screenplay is written by STEPHEN CHBOSKY (Beauty and the Beast) and STEVEN CONRAD (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) and JACK THORNE (‘This is England ’90’) based on the New York Times bestseller WONDER by R.J PALACIO

i always tell my daughter how importan tit is to treat others how you would wnt to be treated

Modelling it as much as possible

I encourage my daughter to be kind by telling her about my own experiences from school and how it affected me.

I try to lead by example - showing my son that it feels good to be kind, to be generous, to be gentle, to look out for others & accept people as they are - although I think young children are sometimes better than that than we are! :)
A really important one for me is really listening when someone is talking to you.
I try to actively listen when my son (or anyone) is talking to me - maintaining eye contact, etc.
It's incredibly frustrating when you feel someone isn't listening to you.. you can gain a lot by sitting back & properly listening to what someone is saying - instead of jumping in with a response to what you think they are trying to say.

My son was always targeted by the class bully yet would automatically befriend any child that was different in any way. Teaching children to be kind should come easily but helping them deal with bullies can be heart breaking.

I lead by example-show the children what standard of behaviour we as a family exhibit. We're kind to each other, too.

I wish there was more kindness in the world TBH, and I'll be watching the film with the DC.

Lead by example - if they see you being kind they will learn to be kind, if they see you being horrible they will learn to be horrible.

I always try to emphasise how the other person would be thinking. I do a lot of "imagine if you owned that/ were that person" etc.

Being the best person i can be, being mindful of others and being empathic and helping people out myself, being generous of spirit and time and money ...and hope that they model themselves on me !

By being a positive role model.
Not just the deeds that I do, but the way I speak to people,

Me and my son meditate on love and kindness . 5 mins every morning

Send them to inclusive nurseries and schools where they mix with all the children in their community, rather than selective settings

I always tell my children when I think it would be kind to do something and encourage them. I give them praise when they do something kind

We have 3 kids. We were never parents who pushed them to be top of the class or to excel in anything really.

We just wanted to raise 3 people who were kind and considerate to their fellow human beings. We are so proud that we have sent 3 wonderful adults into the world who have good jobs but still do charity work. Good parents to our grandchildren and good friends to all and accept their fellow human beings with love, charity and acceptance.

You have to model good behaviour, challenge prejudice and hate and embrace love.

By being a good example ourselves and by teaching them that kindness will return kindness. And also with a lot of praise or a little present like their favourite magazine when we get good feedback from school, i.e. looking after the new kid in class.

I always ask them how they would feel if it happened to them - empathy is key!

Try to set a good example by not gossiping - often the most hurtful thing you can do

My little one is almost 2 and I make sure to try to lead by example, for example, we donate to the food bank each week and talk about why we do that, and to praise him when he is kind to others, for example, sharing a toy or reassuring one of his friends when he is upset. We also learn about kindness though reading etc, in particular, we have a book called it’s ok to be different which is really good and my little one loves reading it.

My son went on a hike with Beavers and it was suggested he took a snack and drink. My wife packed him two custard creams in a pot. One of the leaders told us after that one of the other children hadn't been given a snack, so our son gave him his second custard cream. We'd never been so proud of him. He didn't really know the other child, but didn't want anyone going without.

Children are a sponge to your own behavior, so firstly and fore mostly make sure you project positive and kind attitudes towards people yourself. And when your child witnesses someone being unkind, instead of trying to skim past it, address it and discuss with them why this was wrong and how the other person may be feeling. Encourage them to consider the outcomes behind the actions so they are always aware of others

My DS is ASD so my daughter has always been at the forefront of acting kind and accepting differences. She joined the anti-bullying council at school and is always the first to stand up for her rights and those of others. I've always asked both my children how they would feel in situations that they've had to learn from.

We always encourage them to play nice and especially to share and help others

we have a little book if kindness

I saw this film and it made me cry multiple times throughout.

We are very lucky that, so far, our son doesn't have to face any bullying. He's still too young. I suspect it will start sooner than I think, though.

To our knowledge, our son doesn't have any SEN and doesn't have any physical disabilities. He did have to wear a helmet for 9 months due to severe plagiocephaly, but as I said, he didn't know and was too young to be bullied about it.

Because he is by all accounts fairly innocuous, I don't anticipate him being bullied any more or less than most other kids. However, already, we are trying to teach him kindness- from basic sharing to how he treats animals to giving kisses and cuddles to the people he loves.

As he gets older, it will be very important to us for him to know that everyone is welcome in our home, and that he is not only encouraged but expected to treat everyone equally and with kindness. We already talk to him about how we treat our friends, though I suspect he doesn't understand yet, and we are starting to be able to reinforce very specific behaviour "that was nice sharing with Rory" or "it was kind of you to give Sally a cuddle when she cried".

Like in wonder, I want him to be the kid who doesn't just stand up for himself, but puts his neck out for others, too. My brother and I were both raised to be both allies with and advocates of those in need, and importantly not to look down on "those in need", and I want the same for my son.

That all starts with kindness.

Leading by example is top of my list. A little admonishment when they don't do as they should for good measure too though.