In my opinion, Emotional Intelligence is more important in terms of “success” in life that any IQ score. In light of this I strongly desire to teach my children about compassion, kindness, grace, and overall empathy for others. I want them to think of others needs over their own and love with a servants heart. Are you with me? If so, in honour if World Kindness Day, I have created a list of 10 activities of kindness that you can do with your children year around.
1) Each time you grocery shop ask your child to pick one non-perishable food item that they think a child would enjoy having whose family may not have enough money for food. Purchase this food item and have your child place it into a bag or box at home and at the end of each month deliver these items to your local food bank or a food bin that is designated for your local food bank.
2) Take your child to a local coffee shop and ask them to ask the person behind you in line what they would like to order. Then pay for that persons order and explain to your child the concept of “pay it forward”.
3) Sit down with you child and ask them to pick out a few toys or books that they would be willing to donate to Goodwill or an alternate donation location for others to use.
4) Talk to your child at breakfast and ask them if there is something they could do today for their teacher or a friend that would be kind/helpful.
5) Have a discussion at supper or bedtime and talk about ways that each person either was kind or experienced kindness that day.
6) Have your child help you bake muffins or cookies or a meal and take them with you to deliver it to a neighbor or friend in need or even “just because”.
7) Think about the words used in your home and talk to your children about how some words build people up and others bring them down. If there is a negative phrase or situation, take time to talk about how the other person feels and how the situation can be resolved to help everyone feel built up not torn down. Tell your children you love them. Hug them. Kiss them. Pray for them. These are ways that seem so obvious but truly are “acts of kindness” in the home. Creating a safe place with example within our homes of what we hope to see in the world is one of the strongest ways that we can lead our children to be kind and empathetic as adults.
These are just a few of many ways that you can work with your children in honour of World Kindness Day but truly on any and everyday to help raise a generation that values kindness and empathy above self serving behavior.
Untile next time…start healthy!