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The Surprising Health Benefits of Altruism in Young Children

5 min readMay 23, 2025

New research reveals that acts of kindness may be as good for children’s bodies as they are for their hearts — especially among families facing economic challenges.

When 4-year-old Emma was given the chance to keep colorful tokens for herself or donate them to help “sick children,” she chose to give most of them away. What researchers discovered next was remarkable: her body’s stress response system actually improved after her generous act, suggesting that giving may be hardwired to benefit our health from the earliest ages.

This finding comes from groundbreaking research published in Psychological Science by Jonas Miller and his team at the University of California, Davis. Their study of 74 preschoolers reveals that altruistic behavior doesn’t just feel good — it may actually strengthen children’s ability to handle stress and regulate emotions.

Understanding Vagal Tone: The Body’s Calm Button

To better understand these findings, it’s helpful to know more about vagal tone itself. Recent research has established that vagal tone is crucial for multiple aspects of health and development. Baseline vagal tone has been positively linked to various emotion regulation processes, including the ability to sustain attention, the use of effective coping strategies, and impulse…

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Ray Williams
Ray Williams

Written by Ray Williams

Author/ Executive Coach-Helping People Live Better Lives and Serve Others

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