Children are always watching — and what they see shapes who they become. This poem explores the quiet but powerful ways parents model behavior, attitudes, and values for their kids, often without realizing it. If you’re thinking about how to raise compassionate, kind children, this one’s for you.

Parent's Be Aware

Beware what you despise,
Your children see it in your eyes.
Be mindful of whom you shun,
For they are watching, every one.

Who do you welcome into your life?
Who do you treat with love or strife?
Do you see the person, not the skin?
Do you welcome those who don't fit in?

Your children pay attention.
They notice more than you might mention.
They see the kindness that you show
And the attitudes you don't always know.

So treat others as you would want to be treated.
Let kindness and compassion be repeated.
For the gifts you give your children each day
Are found not only in what you say.

When you love those who aren't the same as you,
Your children learn what love can do.
Be true to yourself, your family, and God
And let your life show the path you want them to trod.

Parents are teaching our children things we are not aware we are teaching. Children learn from our behaviors. See my full posts on What are you handing your kids without knowing it? and How Parenting Habits Shape Children’s Views on Race and Others

What This Poem Is About

Children absorb parental attitudes and behaviors more than they absorb words. Whether we realize it or not, we are teaching our kids how to treat others, what to value, and how to respond to the world. Parents are their first and most powerful teachers, shaping not just what children know, but who they become.

Teaching Children Kindness Through Example

Being intentional as a parent means modeling empathy, love, and positive behavior in our daily lives. When we choose kindness in our interactions and children witness it, we teach them far more than any lecture ever could. Children and empathy go hand in hand — and they learn it best by watching us model compassion for others.

Want to explore more about parenting with intention, building character in your children, and creating a home filled with kindness? Check out my full posts on what you’re unknowingly teaching your kids and How Parenting Habits Shape Children’s Views on Race and Others. Discover more resources on parenting, kindness, and raising thoughtful, compassionate children.