Kindness is synonymous with being a Girl Scout. The word means to possess the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate—traits all found within the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
But kindness doesn’t just happen. It needs to be practiced so kids learn its importance, especially in those moments when maybe showing a bit of kindness isn’t always the easiest move.
The good news? There are so many simple ways to practice this as you participate in Girl Scout activities. Here are five ways you can cultivate kindness.
A Smile Can Change Someone’s Day
Sounds too simple, right? But sometimes the simple gestures that cost you nothing to give away have the biggest impacts. Simply making it a point to smile—and encouraging your girls to do the same when the moment and mood are right for them—is an easy way to pass on a bit of kindness and friendliness in your troop meetings, on field trips, and beyond.
Use Kind Words
Kids learn how to speak to others and what to say by watching those around them. Make it a point to display kindness with your words. When your troop arrives at a field trip location, greet your host warmly. Use "please" and "thank you" anytime they're appropriate.
Do a Good Turn Daily
The Girl Scout slogan is “Do a good turn daily”. This means doing something every single day that can make a difference in the world. That can be as big as making a sustainable change through a highest award project or as small as keeping a bedroom clean. Encourage your girls to show a little kindness in their worlds by doing a good turn every day.
Reflect on Good Turns
Completing an act of kindness by doing "a good turn" is great, but to make sure the lesson sticks encourage your troop members to reflect on the impact their good turn had on someone. Make it a part of the opening of every troop meeting for girls to share one good turn and how it made someone else’s day better.
Be a Role Model
And finally, be the kindness role model your girls need. Kids mimic the behavior they see, so if you are prone to getting upset and frustrated with another volunteer or troop member and they see that, they’re more likely to react the same way. But if you are able to take a deep breath and respond in tough moments with kindness, your girls will see that as well and remember how you reacted. While you are one of many adults in their lives, you just might be the one to make this lesson stick. Practice it often!