resources for parents
You are your child's first teacher. You don't need a classroom to make kindness stick. The resources below are designed to help you start real conversations at home, build your child's awareness of the words they use and the words they hear, and raise a kid who knows that saying something sweet is never small.
Whether your child is just learning to read or navigating the complicated social world of middle school, there's something here for every stage.
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Little Kids, Big Hearts
Children in this age group are just beginning to understand how their words affect others. The goal at this stage is simple: build a feeling vocabulary, celebrate what makes each person unique, and plant the seed that kindness is a choice we make every day.
Start Here:
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The Sweet vs. Sour Word Sort - Read Perri's Pencil Problem together and pause throughout to ask: "Was that a sweet word or a sour word? How do you think that made Perri feel?" Create a two-column chart together using drawings or sticky notes.
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The Compliment Jar - Place an empty jar on the counter. Each day, invite your child to drop in a slip of paper with one kind thing they said or did. Read them aloud at dinner on Fridays.
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Mirror Affirmations - Before school each morning, look in the mirror together and say three things you love about yourself. Help your child build their own list using words about who they are, not just how they look.
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Read-Aloud Conversation Starters - After reading together, ask: "Has anyone ever said something to you that felt sour? What did you do?" Let them lead the conversation.
Other Recommended Books to Pair:
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
3rd - 5th Grade
growing into empathy
Kids in this range are developing stronger peer relationships, navigating group dynamics, and becoming more aware of social differences. This is the perfect time to introduce the concept of microaggressions in language they can understand. Help them practice speaking up, both for themselves and for others.
Try These at Home:
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The "Ouch/Oops" Framework - Teach your child a two-word system for responding to hurtful comments. "Ouch" signals that something said felt harmful. "Oops" is the response from the person who said it. Role-play different scenarios at the dinner table and talk through how each person might feel.
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The Sweet Words Challenge - For one week, challenge your family to replace every complaint or put-down with a constructive, kind alternative. Keep a tally on the fridge. Talk about how it felt at the end of the week.
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Identity Wheel Activity - Help your child draw a circle divided into sections representing different parts of who they are: family background, things they love, how they identify, what they're proud of. Discuss which parts feel celebrated and which parts have ever felt questioned.
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The "Say Something Sweet" Pledge - Take the pledge together at saysomethingsweet.org and talk about what commitment means. What does your family promise to do differently?
Conversation Prompt for This Age:
"Have you ever stayed quiet when you saw something unkind happen? What would you do differently now?"
Grades 6 and up
deeper conversations for older kids
Tweens and teens are ready to engage with more complex ideas: systemic bias, identity, allyship, and what it means to take a real stand. These resources meet them where they are, without talking down to them.
Go Deeper:
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Family Discussion - Use Marleigh's story as a starting point. Ask: "Why do you think Marleigh wrote this book as a teenager? What do you think she wanted people to understand?" Then ask: "Have you ever experienced something that felt like a microaggression? Did you say anything?"
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The Anti-Microaggression Scenarios - Download our printable scenario cards and work through them together. For each scenario, discuss: What was said? Why was it harmful even if it wasn't intended to be? What could the bystander have done?
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Social Media Audit - Together, scroll through your child's social media feed and notice the language being used. Is it sweet or sour? Who gets centered, and who gets left out? What messages are being absorbed without anyone noticing?
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#SaySomethingSweet Campaign - Encourage your older child to post something intentional using #SaySomethingSweet to offer a compliment, an affirmation, or a story about a time kindness made a difference. Talk about the power of using a social media platform for good.
Conversation Prompt for This Age:
"What's the difference between a mistake and a microaggression? Can something be both? How do you know when to speak up?"
