Kindness comes in many different forms and what better time to share it than at the holidays! As Christmas approaches, it’s an excellent time to remind our children of this value. Decorations are going up, holiday music is everywhere, and increased traffic and holiday travel seems to bring out the best in everyone…Don’t agree with that last one? Me either…
I did venture out of the house on Black Friday just to grab some lunch and while out I saw almost two accidents and one man get out of his car just to yell at someone simply because he felt they didn’t move their car quick enough. My daughter was with me and luckily didn’t notice any of it but I certainly did. It reminded me very quickly that this is the world she and all of our children live in. The only way to make it better is to start with ourselves and our homes as kindness starts in the heart and can spread like nothing else.
It can be easy to focus on the negativity around us but what would happen if we used that energy to fuel the change this world needs? If instead we responded with kindness, or just did random acts of kindness for the sake of brightening someone’s day-do you think it could make a difference? I do! And while this time of year is a great time to remind our kids of the importance of kind acts, it doesn’t ever have to stop just because the holidays will be over. Let’s keep the kindness flowing, the love growing, let’s make a difference in the world! And that difference starts with one person simply being kind to just one other person…
SOME IDEAS TO SHOW KINDNESS
LEAVE SOME LOVE-Paint a rock or lots of rocks with hearts or loving messages and leave one on your neighbors porch or around your neighborhood or even at a playground your child loves.
SEND A LOVE NOTE-Have your child write a card to someone they love and mail it to them, maybe include a hand drawn picture.
GRATEFUL CHALLENGE-Each night when you put your child to bed, share with one another what you are grateful for and challenge your child to come up with a longer grateful list than you! Take turns naming each grateful. When you can get your child to focus on what they are grateful each night, you start to shift their focus to the positive elements in their life and that shift will carry into their everyday thoughts.