Accept Difference
Menschlichkeit means respecting even those who are very different than us. To that end, encourage your children to play with other kids, even if they don’t automatically hit it off. Even if your child loves MagnaTiles and the other child loves Tinker Toys, they might be able to get along if they go into the play date with an open mind.
This open-mindedness extends to bigger differences as children get older – skin color, social class, and body weight. If we teach our children that different is not wrong, but is simply different, we can help them see those around them as having value and worth. This will ultimately aid them in offering Mr. Schapiro a hand with his groceries or inquiring after Mrs. Eckstein’s health.
Take Care of “Stuff”
It might sound funny, but when we teach children to respect their belongings, we are inculcating them with a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Teach them that their “things” are not expendable – that they must take care of them so that they last. If they break or lose something valuable through negligence, don’t automatically buy a new one (even if you can afford it). Instead, discuss the value of that object and the different way things could have been handled, thus avoiding its loss or breakage.
That seems like an awfully long list of rules for you to follow in order to instill menschlichkeit into your children! But, in reality, think of them more as a way of life –
that is exactly what you are trying to instill in your children. With time, these “rules” will feel natural to you – and menschlichkeit will be natural for them.