--Let someone in front of you at the check-out counter. If you’ve got a huge basketful of items, let the person behind you with fewer in front. It will send your child the signal that other people matter, too.

--Collect some toys your children no longer play with and give them to a family in need. It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day. And you’ll make some much-needed space in your own closet as well.

--Reconsider your reaction in traffic. Screaming into the steering wheel impacts how your children deal with stress. Take three deep belly breaths, exhaling twice as slow as you inhale.

--Animals are a great way to teach empathy. If you have your own house pet, involve your children in its care. It will teach your children the value of caring for others who are dependent on them.

--Hold the door for people as you walk through the door at the store. A small gesture of kindness shows your children it’s a natural way of being.

--If you see a parking meter about to expire, ask your child to toss in a coin to prevent the person from getting a ticket. It will teach them that sometimes being kind will not be directly rewarded with praise, but the good feeling inside is priceless.

You needn’t smother someone in kindness to teach your children about other-regarding behavior. Love can be shown in many ways. It’s as simple as the toss of a coin or the extension of a tender, loving hand.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother and SAHM I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe, is a freelance writer living near Munich, Germany with her husband and two kids. For more parenting ideas, subscribe to her Powerful Families, Powerful Lives newsletter at http://www.diaryofamother.com.