Kindness
In each story in the collection, many characters show each other kindness. For instance, in the story about the elderly person mourning the impending loss of their child, the nurses show the elderly person a tremendous amount of kindness. Although that kindness doesn't make the person's child healthy again, it numbs the sting of their loss and grief and shows just how good humanity is. Similarly, the girls who come to the house sit for the parents of the neglected boy and show him profound kindness by giving him the love and nurture that he has craved for much of his life. In every situation, the kindness that people show others helps them in their lives in one way or another and helps them become better people.
Neglect
Neglect plays an important part in each story in Five Tuesdays in Winter. For instance, one short story in the collection tells the story of a teenage boy who is lonely and neglected by his parents. However, when his parents leave and hire two college-aged house sitters, he gets the attention and love that he so desperately wants (and ultimately needs). Because of the neglect that he experienced from his parents, the boy's personality changed significantly. He became withdrawn and uninterested in life. After all, every human being needs to be loved and needs to be paid attention to (and not neglected) to lead a happy, successful, and fulfilling life.
The loss of innocence
One of the most significant themes in Five Tuesdays in Winter is the loss of innocence. In one way or another, each character in each story within Five Tuesdays in Winter loses their innocence. Most significantly, though, a girl loses her innocence at the hands of her employer's son. The employer's son, in fact, does something so egregious that it rocks the girl's world and shakes her to her foundation. After the girl loses her innocence, she becomes a new person, showing how significant of an impact another person's actions could have on another person—especially a person who is otherwise innocent.
