Whether you follow the news on your social media feed, your TV, or your favorite app, you might get the feeling that kindness is going extinct, waning away. But I have good news…and a simple way you can keep the good news of kindness growing in your family.

First, the good news. Kindness is on the rise. In 2024, the World Kindness Index (see A Kinder World: New Data Shows Compassion Still Trending Up) found that 65% of the participants surveyed reported engaging in one act of kindness toward a stranger every week. This represented a significant increase from the 42% of participants reporting the same thing in 2012.

In addition, a 2026 report from Worldmetrics noted that most of the cultures surveyed ranked kindness among their top three values. They also noted “100 verified insights and statistics” about kindness. Let me just share a few (you can read them all at Kindness: 2026 Verified Stats): 

• Children who engage in acts of kindness are 40% less likely to be bullied.
• Kindness reduces aggressive behavior by 23% in adolescents.
• People who witness a kind act are 41% more likely to perform a kind act themselves.
• Kindness training for teachers reduces classroom disruptions by 31%.
• Kindness interventions reduce prejudice in adults by 20%.

That’s good news, isn’t it? Great news! Now for the way in which you can help keep the good news of kindness growing. It’s simple really, but it has fallen out of practice today. Maybe we can reinvigorate the practice starting with our families. What can you do to keep kindness growing? Writing thank-you notes.

A study involving 800 participants suggests that receiving a thank-you note increases the likelihood of engaging in further acts of kindness. In this study, participants completed an online survey and were then given an opportunity to donate to a charity. Two days later they were invited back to participate in another survey. This invitation included a supposed thank-you letter from the charity they supported. In fact, they received one of three “thank you” letters. One group received a thank you for their kind act of donating. A second group received a thank you for their kind character of generosity. The third group received a simple acknowledgement of the donation. After completing a short questionnaire, the participants were given another opportunity to make a small donation to a new and different charity than they had donated to before. Those who received the thank you letter gave more than those who received a simple acknowledgement of their donation. In other words, a thank you letter encouraged future kindness. A thank you letter kept the kindnesses going.

Kindness has many positive benefits for the giver of kindness, the receiver of kindness, and the community in which kindness is shared. You can encourage kindness in your family by showing gratitude when someone engages in kindness. Even better, a written thank you can encourage ongoing kindness. So, keep some thank you cards on hand. When the opportunity arises, write a short note of gratitude and give it to a person who has shown some kindness. It will help keep the kindness going and growing.