Kindness in the Early Dark.
There’s a moment each year when the evenings begin to arrive a little sooner.
The sky deepens before tea is even made, and the familiar brightness of summer becomes something we remember rather than see.
The darker nights have returned. For many, this brings comfort, homes feel cosier.
We reach for blankets, warm socks, and the soft glow of lamps.
The world slows by a fraction.
But the early dark can also make us feel a little more tender.
Children sometimes feel this most of all.
They may become clingier, tired quicker, or need more reassurance at bedtime.
When the world outside grows dim, they look to us to be the light.
This is where kindness matters — the quiet, everyday kind.
Not the sweeping gestures.
Not the big announcements.
Just the kind of kindness that fits in the palm of a hand:
• A gentle voice when someone is tired
• A cup of tea made without asking
• A hand held a little longer
• A small “I know today was a bit much, come here”
Children understand this way of being naturally.
They offer their favourite toy to someone who looks sad.
They tuck a blanket around the dog.
They speak softly when they sense someone needs it.
Kindness comes easily to them when we make space for it.
This is one of the reasons I wrote Oscar and the Star of Christmas Kindness.
Not to teach children to be perfect.
But to show how even a tiny kindness can shine like a star in someone’s night.
Because kindness is just like starlight:
It doesn’t have to be big to be bright.
Gentle Ways to Grow Kindness at Home
You don’t need to change your whole routine.
Just soften moments that were already happening:
1. Notice kindness when it appears.
Children don’t know their small actions matter unless we say so.
"That was kind of you.”
“I saw how gentle that was.”
“You helped someone feel better just then.”
It doesn’t need praise — just recognition.
2. Make evenings slow where possible.
Soft lighting, gentle voices, calm play.
Even ten minutes of slower pace can make a day feel safer.
3. Let kindness stay small.
A shared biscuit.
A cushion saved.
A quiet sit together.
Those are the moments that shape how a child understands love.
4. Repair with softness.
If the day got loud or overwhelming (and it happens), come back to one another in a gentle way:
" I felt a bit stretched earlier. I’m calmer now. Thank you for being here with me.”
That teaches kindness more deeply than never struggling at all.
In Oscar and the Star of Christmas Kindness, Oscar learns:
• That kindness doesn’t have to be perfect
• That helping just one person can make a difference
• That small moments can shine brighter than big ones
It is a story that says:
“You don’t have to be the biggest star to light the night.”
Even a small kindness can be everything.
A Closing Thought
As the nights draw in, we can choose to be gentle with each other.
We can let the warmth stay a little longer.
We can slow down just enough to notice one another again.
The darker nights aren’t just the end of the day —
they’re an invitation to come closer.
Kindness doesn’t have to be big to matter.
It just has to be real.
And we all have that to give.
Kindness is a star we can all carry.
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