Family life is the soil where the seeds of kindness, generosity, and compassion first take root. A recent study from Ajman University in the United Arab Emirates found that families play a vital role in shaping children’s awareness of giving, with day-to-day guidance at home quietly teaching children how to notice and respond to the needs of others. When parents model steady habits of care, children begin to see dignity in every person and understand that giving is not only about money, but also about time, attention, and respect.

The research surveyed 174 children, asking how their families guided them in values of service and solidarity. Many said they had learned that helping the poor was a duty, or that listening to grandparents deepened mutual respect between generations. But the study also found that the family’s overall influence in nurturing these values was rated only moderate. Put simply, there is a gap between telling children that kindness matters and showing them how to live it out.

Closing that gap is something families can do together. Parents, grandparents, and even older siblings can give children real opportunities to practice generosity. Asking a child to greet and thank the cashier at the supermarket, letting them choose a tin of beans to add to a food drive, or taking them along to visit a neighbour in need turns lessons into lived habits. These acts may seem small but if repeated over time they build character. They teach that kindness is not an occasional project but part of everyday life.

The study also warned that when homes are marked by conflict, or when volunteering is dismissed as a waste of time, children are less likely to act on the values they hear about. Calm, consistent examples from parents can counter this, while schools can reinforce it with age-appropriate ways to serve.