A Little Kindness Goes A Long Way

What is ‘kindness’ and why is it important? ‘Kindness’ is being considerate, friendly and generous to another person. It is important for us to be kind to one another for Singapore to be a caring home for all. So how can we remember to be kind?

Keep a lookout for others

When we are in public places, there is a social factor to consider, as there will probably be others around. For example, if you are cycling at the park or beach, going at a safe speed and keeping a lookout for pedestrians is a kind act too because you are being considerate towards the other users of the park and beach.

Another way to show kindness is by looking out for those in need. Maybe someone is lost, and especially if that someone is very young, it would be kind of us to help the person find

his or her way. Or perhaps someone has lost something. Can we be kind enough to stop and help the person find the lost item?

What other ways can you think of where we can be kind and keep a lookout for others?

Involve others

When you want to show kindness, you can involve more people and encourage them to also be kind. When you offer to help someone up when they fall, you can encourage them to remember the kindness and also be kind to others in future.

Notice the feelings of others

It is always easy to be angry with someone when something goes wrong, but being kind means considering the feelings of others before we speak or act. By scolding or saying mean words in anger, we could end up hurting someone unintentionally. Pushing or hitting someone else to show our anger will also hurt them. Think twice before we speak or act, as it could hurt the other person. We would not like it if someone said or did something nasty to us too, would we?

Another way of being kind is to proactively notice when someone is upset or sad, and offer a word of encouragement to cheer them up. Sometimes, all it takes is a listening ear and a hug to brighten up someone’s day.

Do good

Being kind also means caring for those who may be less fortunate than you are. There are families and other children who may not have enough money to buy food, go to school or have nice clothes. You can show kindness by donating money, food or clothes to charity to help those in need. You can also show kindness by volunteering your time to help those in need, such as participating in flag days, packing or delivering food to families in need.

There are many ways that we can be kind to one another. No act of kindness is too small and every act of kindness counts. Start being kind and

you may find that kindness will find its way back to you!