Parenting/teaching is a difficult responsibility, and there are so many morals and ideals that parents/teachers wish to teach their children with kindness often at the top of the list. It's not easy to teach children to be kind, especially when they're exposed to a variety of outside influences. Follow these tips, and you may be able to pass a little kindness on to your child.

Praise your child's helpfulness. There are times when you're in the middle of a chore that would get finished much faster if you did it yourself, but you find your child tagging along, trying to help. Let him. When you acknowledge his assistance, it encourages him to do acts of kindness more often.

Discourage your children from putting each other down. When you're together and you hear your children insulting or demeaning each other, put a stop to it. Kindness truly does begin at home, and your children have to learn to be kind to one another if they are to carry on the behavior outside the home.

Provide opportunities for children to exhibit kindness. Gently nudge your child toward being kind by making suggestions to help others. Avoid forcing the issue, though, because your child won't feel like being kind if you do; she'll feel like you're dominating her decisions instead.

Catch children being kind. Be on the lookout for your child pushing his friend on the swing, helping his sister with her homework or opening the door for a senior. Acknowledge and praise his great choices and for taking the opportunity to show others his kindness.

Recognize your child's individual gifts and talents. Make the effort to see your child for who she is and don't compare her to her siblings or friends. This will only build resentment. If you praise her for her uniqueness, she'll learn to see it in others and appreciate them in the same way.

Realize the value of an apology. Teaching your child to be kind isn't exclusively about all the good stuff. Sometimes, probably more often that you care to admit, it's about knowing when you've made a mistake and saying you're sorry. That will also teach your child compassion and resonsibility.

Allow children to take ownership of their own behavior. Just as you tell your child to take responsibility for his own bad choices, you shouldn't take the credit when he is kind to others. You've given her the foundation, but ultimately it's up to him to carry it out. When he does, let him own it.