Kindness

Ask children to write down the answer to the following questions.

• What did they do that was kind?
• How did their kindness make you feel?
• Did the person know how much you appreciated their kindness?

• What did you do or say that was kind?
• How did it make you feel to be kind to someone else?

It usually doesn’t cost anything unless you buy something.

In what ways? How could we do that?

Think of this trail like your footprint online.

Even if you delete something online, there will still be a trail of it online.

That ‘trail’ or ‘tracking’ is stored on the servers of the apps and games that you use.

Some examples to help them think about this:

• If you’re making videos, they may say that you’re very creative and talented.
• If you say nice things to others online, they may say that you’re a kind and thoughtful person.
• If you win a competition, people may see what you are good at, and say that you are a talented achiever.
• People will see your hobbies and interests based upon what you like, comment on and share.

Ask children to write down the answer to the following questions:

• What did they do that was unkind?
• How did that make you feel?
• Do you think the person knew that they were unkind to you?
• Why do you think they were unkind?
• Would someone like to share their answers?

• First, ask yourself ‘why is this person being unkind?’. Maybe they’re jealous, upset about something else or they didn’t realise they were being hurtful.
• Ignore the person. Save your energy and don’t reply. They might just be having a bad day.
• Report or block them on the app to stop them from doing it again; especially if it’s someone you don’t know or if it’s really upsetting you
• Take a break from your device.  Go outside, listen to music, or play with other friends to help you feel better
• Talk to a grown up that you trust. They will listen and they might be able to help you figure out what to do next.

Saying sorry takes courage and bravery, but it is the right thing to do. It is a kind thing to do, and your friends will learn from you too. 

Did the person appreciate your apology? They may be hurt, but they do appreciate it.

• Don’t like or share it.
• Stand up for the person if you feel comfortable.
• Or show them in another way that you care about them.
• And talk about it to a grown up that you trust, that’s very important.

It can be an aunty, an uncle, a teacher, or a parent. This is very important.

This question can be asked with the below explanation depending on the children’s curiosity, level of understanding and age.

The app’s ‘terms and conditions’ must be ‘accepted’ by a grown up before you can begin to use the app. These terms and conditions are the ‘rules’ which allow the app to track all that you do. That’s why it is important to talk to a grown up before you download any app.

Always talk to a grown up first about it as you may decide together not to use the app. If you decide (with a grown up) to use the app, remember to always think before you do anything online.