Raising Kind Kids
raising kids series: part 2 of 5
When I think of the world we live in today, I wouldn't immediately think of the word "kind". I often see people judging and putting others down to make themselves feel better. I get it, we aren't perfect and we've all been there at times. What if we intentionally made changes though and we were able to turn this world upside down with kindness? This could be a place where people aren't shooting up schools because of the hurtful words carelessly spewed at them. It could be a place where someone who deals with depression feels safe to speak up without the fear of judgement in order to get the help they need. That's the world I want to live in! That's the world I want my kids to live in!
Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly or considerate. Being a parent, we have the power to set the tone in our home. We have the power to be a good example or a bad one. When our spouse, our kids or anyone else we interact with is having a bad day and they take it out on us, we have the opportunity to show our kids kindness by responding in love and gentleness. In that moment our children will learn more about kindness than a thousand words we speak.
We also have the power to teach them the opposite. If they overhear a conversation of gossip about someone else, they will believe that it's appropriate to treat others that way. We have this responsibility to send our kids the right message. Speak about others with kind words.
Alright, now let's get to the practical part. Let's get our rambunctious and adorable little humans to start actively being kind to others through these examples below. With help from some amazing people, I've put together a kindness list. I hope these inspire you to start getting you and your kids to start killing the world with kindness!
Words of encouragement.
This can come in any form....notes, texts, in person, someone you know, someone you just met. Words have a lot of power, so choose them wisely.
A handmade gift.
My daughter thought of this one. She wants to make her friends handmade hair bows so they know they are special and that she loves them. (If you aren't the crafty type, it can always be cookies... homemade or store bought)\
Pay for someone behind you in line.
There's nothing that will start your day off better than a free Starbucks! What would the world do without caffeine???
Offer a free service.
Whatever the talent you have, offer it for free sometime. Whether it be a haircut, fixing things around someone's house, fixing a car, babysitting, etc. Use the talents you've been given to bless someone else.
Volunteer your time.
Find a shelter, food pantry, or place of your choice. Feel free to do so outside of the Christmas season.
Throw the homeless a party.
This idea comes from old students I knew in Pueblo! (Shout out to them cause they're awesome!) They came up with the idea to invite all the homeless people in the area to the park for a Christmas party. They made a full healthy meal, gathered supplies to handout such as jackets and socks, and hung out with them for hours.
Use some of these to inspire your own ideas! Just get out there and make a difference in the world by being kind!!!!
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
(check out the first in the series, raising compassionate kids)
