Downloadable Resources to Build Gentleness
How to Use the Resources to Teach Gentleness
For a fun and structured way to build character in your kids all year long, download the calendar and stickers.
Each calendar month focuses on a unique character trait. And each character trait has a unique printable teaching resource to help you build character in your child. You can download it below.
The resource includes:
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- definition card – to build an understanding of gentleness.
- verse card – to memorize why gentleness is important.
- question/challenge – to discuss or practice gentleness.
- character certificate – to recognize monthly progress in acquiring gentleness.
- reward coupon – to have fun and show your child how proud you are of them!
Use some or all of the resources to build gentleness in your child all month. You can also use the printable sticker sheet to cut out and place stickers on dates you see your child showing the trait you’re working on that month. You just need one 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of sticker paper.
Gentleness is just one of the 12 character traits we want to help you build in your kids. Here are more.
Why Gentleness Is Important for Kids
I am allergic to cats so, sadly, we don’t have any in our home. It’s a shame I get all stuffy and itchy around felines because my youngest child loves cats, especially kittens. We told her we were going to visit some friends whose cat had just had babies. Our daughter lit up with excitement. On the drive there, she could not stop talking about the kittens. After being greeted, she raced to the back porch to see the cats. We all smiled as we watched her gleeful interaction – until she scooped two kittens up in matching headlocks and paraded around the yard with an unsuspecting cat under each arm.
We had failed to teach her about the importance of being gentle.
Gentleness is being tender and considerate in a way that makes a person feel cared for and valued. It’s hard for toddlers, or any age, to understand this concept, but we have to teach it. Obviously, gentleness can refer to actual physical contact as in the case of the kittens. But it can also refer to the way we speak to others, how we correct mistakes, or even when administering care. If you’ve ever applied a Band-Aid to a child’s boo-boo, you know it requires a gentle touch. Smashing a bandage on an already-open cut will make the pain worse and won’t fix the problem. Showing tenderness and care is the best practice. Moms are usually good at this! We need to be good at passing that trait along.
Thankfully, the kittens were pretty resilient and survived our toddler’s firm hugs. Next time, we’ll try to be a bit gentler.
How to Teach Gentleness to Your Kids
Stress the “Golden Rule.”
The age-old adage of “treat others the way you want to be treated” is a reminder to be gentle in speech, action, and thought.
Give them a concrete example of how to be gentle.
Do an experiment. Give your little children an egg and ask them to drop it. When the egg breaks explain the importance of taking care of things and being gentle.
Make a list of harmful words.
These cutdowns will break the heart of the hearer. Your children have probably heard these words directed at them at least once at places like school, church, or the park. Talk about how those words make them feel. Then, make a list of gentle words to use instead.
Monitor media intake.
Kids tend to mimic what they see on TV and in movies. If we allow our children to watch content where the characters treat each other with disrespect, we should not be surprised when they do the same. Set boundaries on the kind of behaviors that you consider acceptable for your kids to consume. Limit violence and promote compassion.
Examine an injury.
When your child gets an injury, talk about the mark it leaves behind. Those bruises, cuts, and scrapes are indications of a lack of gentleness. Roughed-up skin bleeds and children can learn how to be gentle from how you treat their wound.
