Laila LaRue Is Turning Playground Kindness Into a Movement

Inspired by her own experiences feeling left out at recess, young author and advocate Laila LaRue wrote The Buddy Bench to encourage kids to notice, include, and uplift one another at school. Through a simple but powerful story rooted in empathy, she reminds children to look for classmates who may be sitting alone and take the small step of inviting them to play—showing how everyday kindness can ease loneliness, build confidence, and help create a more compassionate school community.

Hi Laila, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with our readers — we’re so excited to celebrate your journey as a young author, advocate, and pageant title holder. Let’s jump right in. You were inspired to write The Buddy Bench from your own experience on the playground. Can you share what that moment meant to you and why you felt it was important to turn it into a story for other kids?
The story I tell in the book is about kids not being open to playing with me and that’s what truly happened. I want kids to know that other kids sometimes are lonely when they sit on the buddy bench and to encourage them to look at the buddy bench to see if anyone is there and offer to play with them before they go play on the plaground. I feel it was important to share this story because it is one of the first things that came to mind when I was thinking of how to spread the word about thinking of other kids who are sitting on the buddy bench.

Your book focuses on kindness, inclusion, and helping children feel less alone. Why do you think kindness is such an important lesson for kids to learn, especially at school, and how do you hope your book helps start those conversations?
I think kindness is something that can lift people up or break them down. Lifting people up is the best way to make our world a better place. Through my book I encourage kids to be more kind especially at school. I feel like a picture book directed a younger kids will help them to be more kind because picture books are ones kids will read a lot and since they read them a lot my book is a good way to get the word out about just how important kindness is.

You’ve turned personal challenges, including growing up with a cleft smile, into a powerful message of confidence and empathy. How has embracing your own story helped you find your voice and connect with other children who may be struggling?
I’ve never been ashamed of my cleft smile. I have always loved it because it is a unique facial feature and I’ve always wanted kids to be more kind with their words. I feel hurt when other kids are hurt because I feel bad for them. And I don’t want other kids to be hurt. I feel like it’s natural to me to help other kids who aren’t doing it for themselves. Whether it’s the kid on the school bus who wasn’t speaking up for themselves when others were playing keep away with their jacket or my friend at the lunch table who was called a name and I spent time telling her that’s what someone else thinks about them is not true. It’s hard for me not to speak up for what is right.

In addition to being an author, you’re also serving as International United Miss Texas Jr. Pre-Teen and leading Laila LaRue’s Kindness K.R.E.W. How do you use pageantry and leadership opportunities to spread your message beyond the book?
Whenever I have a leadership opportunity, I really do take it for what it is. I really want to lead by kindness and that is my platform. Through pagentry, I’ve noticed more of a need for kindness inside of schools and I wanted to do something to change that. What I love about being the IUM Miss Texas Jr Pre Teen is representing IUM because it is such an amazing pageant system. It also means a lot to me because while I’ve always been Top 5, this was my first title so it’s very special to me.

As The Buddy Bench prepares to launch, what do you hope every child who reads it takes away — and what would you say to a kid who might be feeling lonely or nervous about making friends right now?
I really want every kid to have a daily routine to check the buddy bench at recess to see if anyone is there and are they are ok. And if you do complete this routine and you do find someone and it turns out you were able to invite them to play with you then you just made the world a better place by brightening someone’s day and making them feel less alone. Or even if you see someone sitting alone anywhere you should look out for them instead of ignoring them.

I feel like if I could talk to a kid who is feeling lonely I would understand why they are lonely but I would also tell them to introduce themselves to others and if they are still rejected they should go to their counselor like I did.

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