Importance of Teaching Kindness to Children Impacts Heart Health

KINDNESS research: Kindness elevates levels of the brain’s natural versions of morphine and heroin, called endogenous opioids, causing elevated levels of dopamine, creating a natural high called “Helper’s High.” Healthier hearts have emotional warmth producing the hormone, oxytocin in brain and throughout the body, stimulating cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure. For holiday prep, I taught daycare children kindness in giving (of a thing or kind gesture like a smile) instead of obligatory giving, makes for happy hearts. Breathing sphere with their hands on bellies to feel expanded/released breath, breathing in kindness, breathing out kindness, puppet story, artwork, magically waving wings of kindness over them, drumming/marching to song: WHEN I AM KIND TO YOU, MY HEART FEELS HAPPY, TOO! Preschoolers won’t fully grasp brain chemistry research but they FEEL the lesson with our activities and KNOW for themselves. TaDA! And when they have fun learning, they gain confidence. Holistic education can’t be beat!