Help Spread Kindness

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and it’s very easy for our children, and even us, to become more self-centered—we focus on our needs, our wants, and our desires. It happens in my home too!

I have been blessed with so much, and I think I take that for granted sometimes. I forget to take the focus off me and my family and spread joy to others. I want to teach my children to be grateful for their blessings (which we do each night at dinner CLICK HERE), but to also take the next step of showing God’s love by being a blessing and spreading joy and kindness with someone else. 

Kindness Changes Us

I believe helping my children spread kindness will help them grow as individuals. They will begin to understand that not everyone lives the same life that they do, whether that be a different culture, different family make-up, different language, etc. They can still be nice to every person they come in contact with.

They will learn how to be more empathetic to others’ feelings and situations. They will be able to relate to others and have compassion for them and even themselves. Being empathetic helps to build strong leaders because they are good at building and maintaining relationships.

Kindness also helps to rewire our brains to be happier—for the giver and the receiver. And doesn’t our world need kinder and happier people?

This holiday season (and throughout the year) I’m going to help my children spread kindness. Here are some fun ideas that my children are excited to try.

Acts of Kindness Ideas:

1.       Volunteer at an animal shelter

2.       Hold the door open for someone

3.       Donate toys or clothes

4.       Leave a nice note in a library book

5.       Let someone go ahead of you in line

6.       Go on a mission trip with church

7.       Leave a treat for your mail carrier, garbage person, lawn service, etc.

8.       Take flowers to a neighbor

9.       Send a card to an elderly person

10.   Do a chore for a sibling

11.   Leave bubbles at the playground for others to enjoy

12.   Pass out stickers to children waiting in line

13.   Talk to someone new at school

14.   Write encouraging chalk messages on the sidewalk

15.   Take treats to the fire station or police station

16.   Help make dinner

17.   Buy extra school supplies for a teacher

18.   Return someone’s cart for them

19.   Dry the slides at a playground after it rains

20.   Offer to help your teacher pass out papers

21.   Help someone learn something new

22.   Tell a family member how special they are to you

If you have acts of kindness you have done with your children I would love to hear them, so please comment below.