1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: tip is to plan for kindness. Make if then plans 4 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: with the young people in your life for how they'll 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: show kindness, and consider planning for kindness in your own 6 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: life as well. Today's tip comes from psychologists Julia Reverd 7 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: and Sonya Leubomirski and Character Lab, a nonprofit with a 8 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: mission of advancing scientific insights that help kids thrive. Among 9 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: Character Labs recommendations for helping the kids in your life 10 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: show kindness is to make if then plans which can 11 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: help them form habits of kindness in situations they are 12 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: likely to encounter again and again. Revard and Leubomirski offer 13 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: the example that you might work with your child to 14 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 1: plan to hold the door open for a person who's 15 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: right behind them. They explain planning what to do in 16 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: future situations can make the decisions happen more naturally when 17 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: they arise. If your child has thought in advance about 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: how they'll hold the door open any time they see 19 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: someone behind them, they don't have to realize in the 20 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: moment that that would be a kind thing to do, 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: they already have a plan ready to implement. I love 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: that it is so valuable to help kids make concrete 23 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: plans for how they will handle specific situations. Then when 24 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: the situation occurs, they are confident that they know just 25 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: what to do. I bet you could think of all 26 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,919 Speaker 1: sorts of situations where children might plan for kindness, looking 27 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: for kids without a playmate on the playground and asking 28 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: want to play with me, or telling a teacher thank you, 29 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: mister Roberts after a class. And there is a lot 30 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: to be said for planning kindness in our own lives too. 31 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: Now you might think some of this is just intuitive 32 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: for people who are emotionally aware adults. That is why 33 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: you ask people about their weekends at work, even if 34 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: it is not the most pressing topic. Ever, it's about 35 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:36,399 Speaker 1: being kind and interested in other people's lives, and that's 36 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: all true. But if you are like a lot of 37 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: productive people, you may sometimes overlook opportunities for kindness just 38 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: because you're focused on something else. A concrete, if then 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: plan could help you notice extra opportunities for kindness without 40 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: a whole lot of mental overhead. For instance, you might 41 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: plan that if you arrive at a narrow place at 42 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: the same time as another person, then you will smile 43 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: and gesture for them to go first. If you encounter 44 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: a barista at a coffee shop or a cashier at 45 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: a fast casual restaurant, then you will greet them before 46 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: placing your order. If there is a new hire in 47 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: your department at work, then you will invite them out 48 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: for lunch in the first two weeks. When we think 49 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: about concrete ways we or our kids can show kindness 50 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: within specific circumstances. When those circumstances arise, we know exactly 51 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: what we will do that makes it easier to be 52 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: kind in daily life without spending too much time worrying 53 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: about it. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 54 00:03:51,600 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 55 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 56 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 57 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 58 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then breakfast pod. You 59 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts 60 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com That before Breakfast is spelled out 61 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look 62 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 63 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 64 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.