It’s cool to be kind

As we were sat at the kitchen table talking about kindness and how we can be kinder to people and show them that actually ‘it’s cool to be kind,’ my son told us a lovely little story.

The scenario was at school – where I’m sure you acknowledge that the playground can be a bit of a minefield for some children… there’s the cool crew, the sporty crew, the louder, the quieter crew, and then there are the children who aren’t always sure where they fit in and can often be left hovering around the edges, sometimes alone.

It was a regular break time at school, the sun was out fortunately, (not always a given) so the football crew were really excited to be able to get stuck into as much of a game as they could before break was over.  My son, who is an avid and good footballer couldn’t wish to be doing anything better than being fully immersed in the game doing his utmost to score, to win, to play as much as he possibly could. There were different groups of children occupying themselves in different ways, as expected, around the playing fields and gardens, everyone enjoying themselves.  It was then, in the midst of a tackle that my son caught sight, out of the corner of his eye, one of the new boys kicking his feet along the edge of the grass, looking to the ground and occasionally up to the boys playing football.  Now, whilst the football boys play regularly together so have their sort of unsaid system and strategics, my son jogged off to the boy on his own, at the sidelines, took his hand, and lead him back over to the game. He announced to the crew that his boy would be playing with them now.

And that was it! That’s all it takes. That small random act of kindness, other than making me hugely proud as a mummy, would have changed that boy’s day.  

See it really doesn’t take much – to help! – Natalie Savvides, author of Henry and Henrietta Heartbeat