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"Mommy! There's a spider in the bathroom, come kill it! I'm scared!" my son's screams trail into my bedroom. When I get there, I discover it is a common daddy-longlegs spider ( a.k.a. Pholcidae).

"Jason, why should I kill this spider? It is not bothering you. They do not bite humans and they only eat other insects" I respond.

"Because I am scared of it, it's going to bite me!"

Once again I assure him that this little creature, created by God, is of no harm to him and we can't just go around killing things, regardless if it is just an insect. After gaining his confidence that the spider is no threat to him and is just going about his little existence, Jason's whole attitude changed.

"Awe look at the little spider, mommy. He is trying to climb up the wall to find his mommy and daddy. He is so cute!" was uttered from his lips just a few minutes later.

This rather insignificant story holds a lot of lesson in it. Teaching my son that all creatures, big and small are of importance in life and to not judge a book by it's cover as well as coexisting with others.

The definition for kindness on the Princeton.edu website is "the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic". As parents, we first need to possess these qualities before we can teach them to our children.

There are lessons in kindness that can be taught to our children on a daily basis. You just have to look for them. Make it a point to express an act of kindness every day and involve your children. Something as simple as helping an elderly or disabled person carry groceries to their car, or stopping to let a car pass in traffic are the things that make our society a better place.

When I was 12, my parents as well as my friends' parents signed us up to volunteer at a children's home in our town. We would all go together one night during the week for about an hour and a half regularly for 2 months. What a great experience this was to be able to visit less fortunate children to talk and play with them. Not only did I feel as I was giving unselfishly, I actually felt good about myself as a person. My friends experienced similar feelings of selflessness and self worth.

Getting your children involved is invaluable, and it is up to you to do it. Encourage them to volunteer somewhere that is of interest to them. If your child likes to read, encourage them to volunteer one or two hours a week at your local library. It will be easier for them to take action if you, as the parent, do the research and get the information readily available for them.

There are a number of online resources to help in your search for volunteer opportunities in your area. In addition, your city's website should provide information on youth programs as well as volunteer services. Until you gather the information necessary to turn your kids into the little philanthropists they are destined to be, make sure to look for those daily lessons in kindness. A few minutes of extra attention in this area will go a long way hopefully to last a lifetime!

Learn more about this author, Rachel Summerton.
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