I have sometimes wondered what would happen if I asked a slew of kids to rate what matters more to grown ups, kindness or good spelling. I read an article about a study to encourage kindfulness, or a combination of kindness and mindfulness, in the classroom.  Twice a week the kids heard stories about generosity and engaged in deep breathing. 

They introduced two magic wands, one with a heart and another with a star. The child holding the heart was invited to speak, and the child with a star was asked to listen and repeat back what was said. 

I have a collection of children's books about healthy marriage listed on the www.caringformarriage.org website, many of which talk about kindness. Anyone wanting to read to their children could start with the Quiltmaker's Gift, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, The Little Troll and The Clown of God. 

The preschool teacher across the hall from me works with four year olds, and draws attention to acts of benevolence among the children by putting up a sticker to honor it. Everyone in the class hears and gives attention to these small acts of generosity. What could the long range benefits be if altruism was on par with the multiplication tables? 

The upper unit in my kids' school offers an elective where students bake cupcakes and send them to children whose lives are less affluent than theirs. Children are even welcome to help cook in the program called Pay it Forward, which delivers meals to neighbors who are ill, or struggling. 

Good listening and kindness. Learning them as children could absolutely change the trajectory of their lives.