Looking back, what would your word of the year be for 2024?
According to a new survey, the word kindness has been selected as Children’s Word of the Year 2024.
At Calmer this made our hearts melt, and inspired us to write this article.
This survey was put together by a group of language experts and academic researchers, who tracked how the language used by children is evolving and how it is used to reflect emotions and experiences.
In addition, this survey of over 6,000 children, aged 6-14 years old in the UK, revealed mental health to be a reason for selecting their chosen word as ‘kindness’, while teachers also noted a growing awareness among young people of the wider impact that kindness can have on mental wellbeing. The study also shares that when asked about why the children chose ‘kindness’, they frequently used words such as ‘need’ and should’, for example: “With so much going on in the world we should all be kind to each other”.
There is so much we can learn from this sentiment.
Kindness is often seen as something that comes naturally to children. As adults, we may find ourselves forgetting its simple yet profound power, and this survey is a vital and timely reminder of the importance of kindness in our everyday lives.
We can learn so much from children. Their innocence and purity, untainted by the world around them, can teach us invaluable lessons about how to be kinder in our everyday lives. Here are just a few insights we as adults can take from how children approach kindness:
Forgiving and swiftly moving on
Empathy without judgement
Spreading joy through small acts
From today, start observing the way children approach kindness — effortlessly, openly, and without agenda. Perhaps in doing this, us adults can rediscover the simple joy of connecting with others and deepening our own sense of self-awareness.
Sometimes, it’s the smallest actions and sentiments that make the biggest difference. Particularly given the current global economic and societal challenges we face, choose to embrace kindness as children do, and this could just make the world a little brighter for everyone.