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Teaching Kids How to be Humble

August 01, 2021
By Coastal Community School

The growth of humility in your child's life will lead to positive development in many other areas of their character and relationships.

Scripture shows us which characteristics are most important in our lives and the lives of our children. Based on scripture, one characteristic that is foundational to the development of all other healthy relational and developmental traits in the life of a well-adjusted, connected, and genuinely loving child is humility. Teaching kids how to be humble in our world is critical to positive child development.

Roots of Humility

When you meet a genuinely humble person, you instinctively understand that they care about people around them regardless of race, sex, or socioeconomic status. Interestingly, the word humility comes from the word humus. If you have a garden, you know humus is the part of soil that is necessary for the growth and strengthening of plants. It provides the environment for deep-rooted growth. 

Scriptures on Humility

There are many scriptures on humility throughout the Bible. Scripture emphasizes the importance of humility and its ability to create that deep-rooted growth in many places. James writes that God gives grace to the humble and opposes the proud (James 4:6). The Bible also says it is our responsibility to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and to foster a humble heart (1 Peter 5:6).

Importance of Humility For Our Kids

Where humility is lacking, selfishness, anxiety, pride, and insecurities abound. Teaching kids to understand their thoughts, longings, desires, and emotions helps them observe why they do the things they do. More importantly, establishing a life or culture of prayer in your home is an excellent starting point to soften the heart and train it toward humility.

Humility in a child’s life includes learning to:

  • serve others
  • listen
  • take time for self-reflection
  • desire growth
  • be honest
  • see life through a lens of invitations rather than inconveniences 
  • see endless possibilities to love others rather than criticize
  • want the best for others
  • manage emotions 

 

7 Tips For Teaching Kids How to Be Humble

Humility leads a child toward becoming a contributor rather than a consumer as they grow and mature. Here are seven quick tips:

1. Foster a Culture of Listening First

Help your children understand that people crave to be known. Learn to discern the core desires in others.

2. Learn To Exercise and Grow in Empathy Toward Life

Parents can begin to teach humility from the time their children are infants.  

3. Foster a Mindset That Sees Invitations Rather Than Inconveniences

Opportunities to engage and serve others can be embraced as invitations rather than dreaded as inconveniences.

4. Practice a Culture of Gratitude

Look around as a family and intentionally talk about what you’re thankful for.

5. Model and Encourage a Culture of Respect

Respect each other’s unique ideas, emotions, and interests by noticing and learning to live well together in those differences.

6. Fuel Others Through Words of Encouragement

Words can be life-giving. Children can learn to genuinely encourage others without feeling the threat of losing their own value in the process.

7. Celebrate Opportunities to Serve

Map out ways you can serve within your family and in your neighborhood, school, or community. Take time to celebrate a culture of service in your home.

The growth of humility in your child’s life will lead to positive development in many other areas of their character and relationships. Take time each day to model and invest in this trait and teach your kids to be humble as you engage with them.

At CCS, we use our Sea Star Program to support and encourage qualities such as humility at school and at home. 

 

This post was originally written by Danny Huerta PsyD, MSW, LCSW, LSSW and published here:  https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/teaching-kids-how-to-be-humble/

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