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LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Kindness, Friendship, Empathy

1. In this story, Tucker thinks he is being kind when he makes a game for Funny and puts him in a box. Do you think it’s ok to hurt others if we don’t mean to? Why or why not?

2.  How do you think Tucker might have loved Funny from a distance? What kind of nice things could he have done for Funny, while still respecting his freedom?

Bedtime Story for Kids written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Yesim Serce

Book design by Jade Maitre

Music Video from zapsplat.com

The post My Friend, Funny first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2021

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LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Independent Thinking

1. What do YOU think? Do you think it’s better to win because you are bigger, or because you are more clever? Why?

Short Story for Kids written by Andrea Kaczmarek

Illustrations by Sabrina Cristina.

Book design by Jade Maitre.

Music Video from zapsplat.com

The post Little Brown Wren Is King of the Birds first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “A great man is always willing to be little.” He was referring to humility, the quality or condition of being humble, and of having a modest opinion or estimate of one’s importance, rank, etc. Humility is a really valuable for children to learn as it helps them to face challenges with compassion and strength.

In humility comes strength

A humble child can appreciate their strengths without boasting about them, and can recognize their limitations without feeling inferior. Humility enables us to respect others without ceasing to respect ourselves. It carries an inner conviction that we do not need to be perfect to be valuable. This understanding protects us from expecting perfection in ourselves or in others.

Is humility the same as inferiority, or unworthiness?

No. Some people think humility means acting as if we were worth less than others, as if we were not important, or as if our achievements were without merit. From this perspective there is a tendency to reject applause and recognition. Low self-esteem, or a sense of social unworthiness, can lead to compliments feeling undeserved; praise and recognition can be hard for a person with low self esteem to hear and take in. Added to this, the word humble can be used to mean poor or lowly, so humility is often negatively construed to mean inferiority.

Genuine self-confidence

The type of humility we want to encourage is the virtue of being modest, of being quietly and realistically confident. People with a positive sense of humility don’t boast about what they know or who they are. They don’t feel the need to compare themselves to others, or to rank people as superior or inferior. They also don’t pretend to be something they’re not, because, quite simply, they know that it’s not necessary.

“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; and to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” Criss Jami.

https://tinybuddha.com/wisdom-quotes/share-weakness-make-vulnerable-make-vulnerable-show-strength/

How do I nurture a sense of humility?

Please read on…Storyberries offers free children’s books, and tips for parents, to guide children towards a sense of humility.

Listening with genuine interest

Every human being has a story to tell; teaching children to both open up and tell their own stories, and to listen respectfully to others, encourages the growth of wisdom, compassion, empathy and humility.

Showing respect

We can encourage our children to be tolerant and to accept people just as they are, by using a positive mantra such as “I respect myself, I respect you.” A genuinely humble person recognises that all people deserve respect. We can also help our children by appreciating the lifestyles of children from other countries or cultural backgrounds, and help our own kids to see that although their lives may be different, they are all children facing similar issues and equally worthy of respect.

Results are not everything

In sports and group games, we can celebrate winning without ridiculing or laughing at those who lose. The best sportspeople learn to accept defeat calmly. Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say that we need to learn to accept contradictions and criticism cheerfully, and to be kind and gentle even under provocation.

We learn through making mistakes

We are all human beings, and as such make many mistakes. Sometimes we overprotect our children, not wanting them to feel any pain or sorrow: Instead, it is more helpful to support children through their pain so they can build strong coping skills. When children aren’t fearful of making mistakes or of being compared unfavourably with others, they enjoy their activities and being sociable much more.

Helping others

We can enjoy participating in activities that help others, such as picking up litter at a park, a beach or an area of roadside; volunteering in a school or hospital; or mowing a neighbour’s lawn. We can help our kids to explore their interests and get a real sense of what they love, so they can develop skills to help others in ways they most enjoy.

 

Some Free Books About Humility At Storyberries

Kidnapped to Planet G!

In this exciting comic-style adventure story, Archie is kidnapped by an alien to save Planet G. Instead of being boastful about being specially chosen, Archie acts with real humility, and in doing so makes some super new friends!

The Fairy Garden

A beautiful story about a young girl who discovers fairies at the bottom of her garden, and leaves gifts for them to show her appreciation. A super book for discussing ways in which humility and appreciation for others go hand-in-hand.

The Fair With Golden Hair

A wonderful fairy tale for discussing the themes of humility and service to others, through discussion of the different characters in the story.

 

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Teaching Kids Humility first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Why do young people need to learn the skill of helping others?

As they grow older, children need to assume more responsibilities and learn habits, discipline, and rules for living together. Collaboration is very beneficial in promoting empathy and respect for others, since as well as offering opportunities for personal growth, it also helps young people to  appreciate and value the work that others do in caring for them.

How can young people be encouraged to get involved?

A good way of doing this is to involve them in household chores, taking into account their age and degree of maturity.

The importance of teaching new skills clearly and progressively

The first step is to show how the task needs to be done. If your child is not given clear and precise instructions or a demonstration, they will not know how to do it. It may then become a source of  frustration that they do not want to repeat. 

Teach them to do household chores little by little –  children are best able to learn chores progressively, both in the number of tasks and in the degree of difficulty. It is also important to adapt responsibilities to their age. 

Where do I start?

Storyberries offers free online children’s books, and practical tips for parents, to encourage children to develop the vital skills of collaboration and helping others:

Giving clear and specific instructions

Children get lost if a task is too general. So instead of saying, “please tidy your room,” It is easier when tasks are broken into manageable steps. So we might start by saying, “Please put your toys in the box.”

Ensuring the experience of work is enjoyable

Work is much more fun for kids when we join in with them, when we make it into a game or when they are given rewards for their collaboration. Children who receive praise and the sense that their work is valued are usually more responsible than those who only get criticism.

Being positive

If it doesn’t go well, we can still praise the efforts they made. Then, if you need to fix it, involve them in the fix. It doesn’t help if you tell them it’s okay and then go and fix it, as you might lose a valuable opportunity for learning. Try to encourage a positive attitude towards housework and avoid handing out household chores as a punishment. 

Be gender aware when allocating tasks

Make sure you do not divide tasks according to gender, but ensure kids can participate in all tasks equally.

Helping children to work together:

If children are going to be working together on a joint project, help them to agree who is going to do each task, and how it should be done. To help each of them to remember their own order of tasks, you might want to encourage them to make a plan of action on a large piece of paper or card.

Children under three years

From a young age, kids can begin to do simple tasks at home, such as picking up their toys and putting books back after using them.

Children from three to six years

Putting toys away and tidying their bedroom
Putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket
Choosing which clothes to wear and getting dressed on their own
Helping at mealtimes: setting the table (the youngest ones can help with simple things like napkins or plastic dishes) or being your assistant while preparing food
Assisting with grocery shopping: helping choose items, finding products or helping place items on the checkout conveyor belt

Children from six to twelve years

Watering plants
Helping to care for pets
Helping in the garden
Tidying their bedroom
Making the bed
Cooking together
Separating and folding items of laundry
Putting clothes away
Washing the dishes or stacking the dishwasher

 

Some Free Books About Helping Others at Storyberries

Keeping Lala Land Clean

In this simple and delightfully illustrated book, all the animals in Lala Land help to keep their house clean and tidy! A super book to introduce young children to concepts of working together and helping others.

Numpurrs

In this beautifully depicted story, twenty pussycats show what they can achieve when they work together!

Whose Shoe Is This?

A delightful short story about a young boy Fezile who has fun trying to find his Grandmother’s shoe. A super book to illustrate themes of kindness and helping others.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Helping others and fostering social conscience first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Greed is the excessive desire to acquire, consume or possess. It is related to envy – feeling hostility towards someone else who is seen to have more advantage. Envy can carry feelings of sadness, anger, jealousy or resentment. It is usually felt most in children who find it hard to get their needs met; and therefore feel frustrated or insecure, and is often connected to low self esteem. 

Accepting that greed and envy are a natural tendency.

Even from a very young age we can see envy playing out in children. They might  express it in the form of squabbles and tantrums, when they can’t have something they want.  If unchecked; feelings of greed, jealousy or envy can grow and intensify over time.

Why do kids find it so hard to share?

It is not easy for young children to understand the concept of property or to distinguish what is theirs, and what belongs to someone else. If something catches their attention, they take it as if it were their own. They can also find it hard to lend their belongings to others. Forcing children to share is unhelpful – children may see the forced act as a form of punishment; it can spark resentment instead of generosity, thus causing the opposite of what was intended.

Helping kids to express what they need.

Children need to learn to ask for what they want, and also to be helped to understand that at times their requests will be refused. In this article, Storyberries offers free books and practical suggestions for encouraging sharing and co-operation.

Talking about sharing in an age-appropriate way

Young children will not understand the concept of sharing or its implications. Just tell them it’s good and encourage them  to share. With older children we can encourage empathy and compassion for the child who doesn’t have what they have, thus delving deeper into the implications of sharing. By helping our children understand the feelings and realities of those around them, we can naturally foster the value of sharing.

Try not to worry – it takes time to learn to share!

Learning to share is a long process, with normal setbacks. Most of us learn best when we are feeling relaxed, so it helps if, as adults, we can let go of our own worries and frustration.

Notice when kids are sharing well

Telling children they are selfish does not help them to share. Labels, far from helping, make situations worse. If a child hears repeatedly they are selfish, they will end up believing it, and that of course is what we want to avoid! Instead, you might say “I love seeing you being generous with your toys!” or “Look how happy your friend Charlie is when you share with him!”

Encourage kids to play together

Children learn best when learning is playful and practical. Arrange for your child to play as much as possible with more children (if there are older children who already know how to share, even better).

Being a role model ourselves

We can set a positive example, and be a mirror for our children, by being generous ourselves.

Share your gifts with the world!

Participating in community activities that promote solidarity and generosity, and inviting the children to participate as much as possible. In this way we can help them to recognise the privileges, strengths and resources they have, and give them confidence that their sharing is making a positive difference to their own and other people’s lives. 

 

Some Free Books About Greed and Sharing at Storyberries

Muncha Buncha Luncha

Kids will love this poem about a child with the nickname of Luncha Buncha who can’t help eating everyone else’s lunches! The minute their backs are turned, Muncha Buncha eats everything, in all sorts of funny combinations! A great poem for talking about greed, personal belongings and sharing.

Numpurrs

Come and see how twenty adorable cats work together to create a wonderful feast. A super book to encourage sharing and co-operation. It’s also a brilliant book for young readers who are learning to count.

Greedy Pig

Everyone in the Guts family loves spaghetti night! Peter Guts is so excited, and so keen to eat lots, that he doesn’t notice that something very unusual is happening! His brothers do, and between them they learn the valuable lesson of sharing.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Managing greed and encouraging kids to share first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Good manners are ways of acting and speaking that convey respect and consideration; for example, affectionate forms of greeting, acts of courtesy or having polite table manners. What is considered polite or respectful varies (for example across cultures), so it’s really helpful to take time to reflect on our own values and those of the people around us (neighbours, extended family, school etc,), so that we can best help our children fit into their social worlds.  By reflecting in this way we begin to build a clearer picture of the behaviours that really matter to us; those that are more negotiable, and those we feel less concerned about. 

Where do I start?

Storyberries offers free children’s books and parenting suggestions for encouraging good manners and a respectful attitude in kids:

Make good manners a daily practice

The first step is for everyone to practice. Even when our children are babies, we can say good morning, good afternoon and evening to them. Likewise, from an early age, we can get into the habit of saying please and thank you, and asking for forgiveness.

Have fun and be creative with theatre and role-play

Mimicry is a great way to learn, and especially effective when we use dolls and role play.  For example, acting out scenes from everyday life by having one doll behave with good manners and another without them. Talking to children about each doll’s attitudes helps them understand what is socially acceptable and what is not. Another fun approach is to dress up and pretend to be different people. 

Learning through play

Prepare an association game by printing images of children with good and bad manners. Kids just love it!.

Play games that encourage patience

Turn-based board games are ideal for teaching children to be patient. Think of how your children behave when you are talking to someone else. Do they wait patiently to ask you for something, or do they interrupt the conversation? These kinds of games can help teach the importance of respect and patience.

Sing songs!

There are lots of songs available for preschool and elementary age children on the theme of manners. Have fun finding your favourites and singing them together!

Read together!

Reading can be a great option for teaching children good manners. Many times it is easier for children to understand which behaviors are helpful or unhelpful, when they are not themselves the protagonists of the situation.

Play the magic word game!

In this game, one of the participants is a magician, with a magic wand. The music starts and everyone dances until the magician stops the music and casts a spell. The magician then politely asks everyone to do something – for example, pretend to be a dog – so everyone imitates being a dog. The magician thanks them, and the music starts up again.  If the magician forgets the magic words, “please” and “thank you”, they lose, and another participant becomes the magician.

Make use of technology

Cartoons and computer games about manners: technology can be another helpful way for children to learn good manners. Watch short cartoons about manners together, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your kids bring them to life! There are also fun apps and games which encourage children to practice positive behaviour.

 

Some Free Books About Manners and Respect at Storyberries

Mama, What’s For Lunch?

Thabo and Tumi love the food their mama preoares. In this delightful picture book for young children, they show their excitement and their pleasure – and they remember to say thank you!

Baby’s First Family Photo

A beautifully illustrated picture book telling the story of a family getting ready to have their photo taken together to celebrate the arrival of the new baby. They show their love and respect by dressing up for the special occasion.

The Letter

All families have conflicts and children sometimes see their parents arguing. In this very thoughtful story, Julia decides to write a letter to her parents explaining how she feels. A beautiful book for exploring themes of respect, consideration and non-violent communication.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Guiding children to show good manners and respect first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

For most of us, the family is our main community. It is the nucleus from which our first affectionate relationships begin, and where we learn how to live in the world. As a family we form a shared understanding of reality, develop our beliefs, and experience our first human relationships. The relationships we have determine much of our future lives. It feels good to be part of a warm, loving, family.

Family dynamics, health and self-esteem

Virginia Satir believed that people carry all the resources they need for positive growth and development, and that families are systems wherein everyone and everything is impacted by everyone and everything else. The relationships we have with our children, parents and siblings affect both our self-esteem and the overall health of the family. That is why it is good to review our family relationships and seek to make them as healthy as possible.

What characterises a healthy family?

Strong families grow from love, security, connection and healthy communication. They also require some rules and routines. We need families in which mutual appreciation is both valued and demonstrated, through love and the authentic recognition of others.

Storyberries offers free children’s books and parenting suggestions for encouraging strong family ties and healthy relationships:

Making genuine connections

Be interested in the lives of your family members: ask them about their day, take time to attend their events, follow up on their problems.

Recognize the different talents and abilities of each person

Celebrate and foster their strengths. For example, if you praise and thank your teenager for listening to a younger brother reading a story, he will begin to see himself as helpful and will attend to him more the next time.

Share family stories and memories

Storytelling helps children appreciate things that are not obvious, or that have been forgotten.

Visit other family members to stay connected

For example, reaching out to grandparents offers them a sense of loyalty to all members of their family.

Strengthen family relationships by dedicating one day a week to do things together

How about going for a walk, seeing a movie, or grabbing an ice cream? Having special family time fosters a sense of unity in children. They also learn that staying together can be very useful in the face of adversity.

Have a laugh!

Laughing as a family is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Laughter is the best medicine. Keeping a good mood, even in the face of difficulties, teaches your little ones to keep a positive attitude.

Reinforce the value of forgiveness

Every family should have an open space to apologize and accept apologies when necessary. When parents maturely face the disappointments of other relatives, children include this behavior in their memories and are likely to repeat it. There is no family without problems; learning comes when we are willing to face our problems.When your child is doing well or doing a good deed, acknowledge it, by mentioning what they did well and why you appreciate it.

Have special times with each child

If there are siblings, seek to have a meaningful moment with each one. To strengthen the family ties we need to know each other well. Children value it a lot when they have moments alone with their mum or dad; these are really significant moments. Little children find it difficult to abstract information, therefore they need you to tell them what you feel about them.

Ask a family member to propose a project that you can work on as a team to achieve a goal

For example, if one of your children wants to go somewhere in particular, let them distribute tasks to each member of the family and support them in fulfilling their goal. Strongest families are those that work together.

Maintain family standards

Children need care that is both consistent and fair. In this way, they understand that when parents insist on something, it is not for lack of love, but their action is necessary and corresponds with the family’s values.

 

Some Free Books About Family Relationships at Storyberries

Grandma on a Windy Beach

A beautiful and wonderfully illustrated story about the very special relationship between a little girl and her Grandmother. Perfect for highlighting the value of strong family ties and inter-generational love.

Baby’s First Family Photo

A beautifully illustrated picture book telling the story of a family getting ready to have their photo taken together to celebrate the arrival of the new baby. Join them as they dress up in their best clothes.

The Letter

All families have conflicts and children sometimes see their parents arguing. In this very thoughtful story, Julia decides to write a letter to her parents explaining how she feels. A great story for discussing difficult issues like family breakup, and for thinking about ways to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Building strong family and relationships first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

What is Fairness?

Fairness is considered to be impartial and just treatment or behavior, without favoritism or discrimination and in everyday life, is seen as treatment that is just and equitable.

Do young children understand justice?

Children feel injustice from a young age, even though they may not be able to express it.  For example, they sense when someone is being inappropriately punished.  How many times have you heard a child say “That’s not fair!’?

How kids understand fairness develops as they grow

Psychology was the first field to study justice as an aspect of moral development. Pioneers like Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Carol Gilligan considered justice to be a distinct aspect of  cognitive development, suggesting that between the ages of 4 and 10 years, the moral development of a child goes through two different stages:

In the first stage of growth (heteronomy) the child imagines that their own interests directly coincide with those of others. Control of this behaviour is externally driven – that is, they follow rules in order to avoid punishment and to avoid causing damage to anyone or anything around them.

To distinguish good from evil, and just from unjust, the child under the age of 4 starts with a very clear premise; everything he wants or likes is good and just. The child’s vision of the world gradually changes as they learn societal norms of behaviour. 

In the second stage (individualism) the child realizes that the interests of other people do not have to coincide with their own, and that it is necessary to negotiate with others to achieve real satisfaction. The child also begins to realise that sometimes they need to put other people’s needs first, even if it means doing things they don’t like, or they don’t want to do. 

How can I help my kids learn about fairness?

What a child might consider fair evolves according to their maturity, but here are some ways to enable kids to make a sense of fairness part of their life:

To help children tolerate discomfort in the face of “injustice,” set a good example

When children see adults respond calmly to frustrating events, it  helps them to do the same. When we praise their efforts, children are encouraged to behave that way again.

Learning through playing games

With rule-based games (which start around the age of 5), as well as having fun and socializing, children learn to think, to respect others, to comply with rules, to wait their turn, to strive, to win… and to tolerate frustration when, despite their efforts, they do not achieve what they want!

Allow children to lose and make mistakes

Sometimes parents let their kids win so that they do not get sad or angry. It is wise to let them win as well because it helps the child to have more self-confidence, but doing it consistently is not such a good idea. If the child gets used to winning all the time they will create a false image of themselves and find it much harder later on to accept loss or imperfection.

Take time for emotional expression

Teach children to be kind towards their own feelings. When facing frustration in an unfair situation, it is healthy to feel the emotions that arise. By identifying what you feel, you can reflect on the situation and recognise if you are the victim of an injustice, or feeling some disadvantage. Expressing anger, jealousy, and other emotions will help channel that energy and cope assertively when you become an adult.

Talking about justice can help in situations your child brings up in conversation

How can we demonstrate fairness in the family? Well, with TV turns, or turns in setting the table with siblings, kids need to see equity. “Dad, why can’t I choose the video I want to watch? Isn’t it unfair that my brother chooses it?”. “Yes, it’s fair that he chooses it; because you chose the video we saw last night. Now it’s up to him.”

Fair treatment for all!

Children’s deep sense of justice demands that they and others be treated with fairness and consideration. Justice for them means that limits are set, but without anger, that rules are established, but without humiliation, and that problems are faced, but without attacking others for having a different approach to the problem.

 

Some Free Books About Fairness at Storyberries

The Moon-Cake

A big boy tricks a little boy into giving him his cake by comparing it to the moon. A really helpful starting point for discussing fairness, and mistreatment or bullying.

The Old Witch

In this vintage fairy tale, two sisters seek their fortune, but only one of them is being fair and helpful to others.

The White Hare and the Crocodiles

In this classical story for 7-12 year olds, the white hare deceives some crocodiles, and then learns to tell the truth. A really good story for discussing why honesty matters.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

The post Teaching kids fairness first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Our children are growing in a complex society where immediacy, disposable consumption and individualism often prevail. As recent world events have shown, ethical awareness may be increasingly important to our children as they negotiate a world impacted by climate change and unequal opportunities.  

Ethics is defined as the part of philosophy that deals with our morals and obligations: a framework that allows for better coexistence between human beings and the world around us. Ethical education is designed to encourage critical, independent thinking and to give value to the creative potential this offers. It helps us to develop the skills we might need to make important decisions; either alone, or when working with others.

Children can be given opportunities to explore their understanding of ethics through a variety of themes such as social responsibility, tolerance, respect for human dignity, and justice.  In this way they begin to know how to distinguish good from bad, and the just from the unjust. They begin to internalise a set of moral patterns, often mirroring those of their parents, their school and their community. Over time, their moral framework is able to become nuanced and take into account a wide range of contributing factors.

Storyberries offers free books and suggestions for encouraging ethical understanding in kids.

Setting a good moral example

Children learn by modeling, so show them when you make ethical decisions, and explain your thought processes behind your decision. Ask them what they would have done.

Knowing what your beliefs are and sharing them

It’s really good to spend time thinking about your own ethical values, and to share them frequently with your child.  Create an encouraging space in the conversation for your child to express their own ideas too.

Making positive use of teaching moments

Allow issues that arise naturally in the course of the day to become stepping stones for learning

Using discipline wisely

Teaching in a way that values lessons rather than punishment, so children learn and grow a healthy moral conscience that comes from within.

Highlighting and reinforcing your family’s moral values at home

Sharing ethical values helps them to become an integral part of your children’s lives. 

Encouraging kids to be reflective

Give children opportunities to see how their behaviour affects others – focusing especially on the positives!

Strengthening ethical conduct

When your child is doing well or doing a good deed, acknowledge it, by mentioning what they did well and why you appreciate it.

Practicing good deeds day-by-day

Children learn to be ethical by doing good deeds.  It helps them to feel the positive effect their acts have on the recipient. This is best accomplished if parents emphasise the benefits their ethical choices have on themselves and others.

Incorporating the golden rule

Treat other people with the concern and kindness you would like them to show to you. Remembering this helps us to think about how our own behaviour has consequences for others.

 

Some Free Books About Ethics at Storyberries

My Best Friend Crow

Rusty and her Grandma enjoy going to the park to feed the birds. Rusty feels sad when her Grandma is kind to the pigeons but not the crows. A great story for exploring ideas about ethics and fairness.

Pepper and Carrot Comic – Episode 23

Pepper is offered outlandish wealth by the magical genie. Will it lead to true happiness? Does she accept the offer? Find out what Pepper decides. A super story to stimulate discussions around ethics.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

An exciting adventure story for older kids that provides opportunities to discuss legitimate and non-legitimate uses of power, and the importance of having a moral conscience.

Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers

Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy. 

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com 

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