Kindness for the Win!

Feb 17, 2023 | Papillion

It’s probably no surprise that we see our mathletes doing a good job on their math every day. Perhaps not as intuitive, another thing we see our mathletes do continually is to be kind. For example, one 5th grader opens the door for his little sister every time they come in. Others earn rewards (games, candy, gift cards, etc.) specifically to give to family members. Just last week, 2 mathletes who don’t even know each other well teamed up to use reward points to buy a gift for a 3rd kiddo. Then, they brought snacks in for each other in gratitude for their generosity.

On this Random Acts of Kindness day, we have interesting research that lines up well with these mathletes’ behavior. As you probably realize, kindness benefits both the giver and receiver, sometimes in unexpected ways. It can also create powerful virtuous cycles like we have seen with our mathletes.

When we’re kind to others, our focus is likely on them rather than on us, and here’s an interesting take on the recipients’ experiences. They benefit not only from the act, but also from the intent behind the act:

“ 'Performers are not fully taking into account that their warm acts provide value from the act itself,’” Kumar said. “’The fact that you’re being nice to others adds a lot of value beyond whatever the thing is.' ”

The Mayo Clinic tells us how beneficial kindness is for the giver as well. The act of being kind to another can bolster both mental and physical health. That includes YOU too! Being kind to yourself creates a double win so now’s a great time to be kind to someone!

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