By Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, November 8, 2021
In Social Justice Parenting, Traci Baxley emphasizes the rewards of teaching our children to empathize with and care for others.
The holidays will soon be upon us. What is likely to make you feel better — receiving a gift, or giving one to someone in need? Research is clear that, as the proverb goes, it’s better to give than to receive.
“Doing kind things makes you feel better,” said Andrew Miles, a sociologist at the University of Toronto. “It fulfills a basic psychological need, like giving our bodies appropriate food. It helps you feel like your life is valuable.”
Dr. Miles is currently leading a large, controlled study aiming to quantify the ways in which doing good may help to counter the anxiety and depression that currently undermines the health and well-being of many people in all walks of life.
And the need for kindness may have never been greater. The economic, educational and vocational stresses associated with the pandemic continue to take a toll. In addition, the media, the internet, and even neighborhood streets are often filled with physical threats and hateful remarks directed at large segments of the population.
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