MsBeehaving Artists

The Answer to Teaching Kindness

Kindness isn’t a lesson plan or a single “aha” moment—it’s a mix of messy parenting, little teachable moments, and the hope that somehow, all the effort sticks.

I have two kids, and they’ve taught me just as much about kindness as I’ve tried to teach them. My oldest is what people might call “a gentle soul.” Polite, mild-mannered, and so kind that strangers have stopped me to comment on it. When he was a toddler, meltdowns were practically nonexistent—I can count them on one hand.

The Bad Mom and the Neurodivergent Moment We Misunderstood

At the airport, I saw a boy, maybe 10 or 12, having a meltdown—crying, yelling, and lashing out. His mom stood close by, quiet and calm. She didn’t react, not even when he hit her. People around me started whispering: What a bad mom. How could she let him do that?

Airport security eventually approached and asked if everything was okay. She responded simply, Yes. To the untrained eye, it looked like she was doing nothing. But was she a terrible mom? I don’t think so.