Did you know that today, February 17th, is National Random Acts of Kindness Day? If not, well now you do! We all know the world could always use a little more love! To celebrate today, we read a couple books about KINDNESS….finding ways to to brighten someone’s day, taking time to spread joy, and choosing to put our focus on others instead of ourselves!
This book by Scholastic Inc., Try a Little Kindness, provides many examples of ways to lift someone’s mood & put a smile on his/her face!
To help put these into action, I created KINDNESS CARDS with gestures we can do each day, reminding my kids our daily mantra, “FIND A WAY TO BE KIND TODAY!” These free printable cards below can be used all throughout the year and you can even create your own!
Being kind isn’t always the easiest or most convenient choice, but it truly matters! To offer a helping hand is one easy way to be kind. Go shovel your neighbor’s driveway, offer to make a meal, pick up a messy room, empty the dishwasher….the options are endless. Just be sure to do it with a willing, positive attitude!
We try to help them understand that KINDNESS may cost a little money, but that it also can be completely FREE. Sometimes the smallest acts and gestures make the biggest impact. Giving a heartfelt hug, writing a thoughtful note, calling someone to say hello, or making art for someone are all simple ways to spread kindness.
Kindness is universal and can be shared no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, etc. From kids to adults, we all can do the things on these cards and MORE! It starts at home. When kids see us being kind, they will copy our behaviors. After all, it truly is more caught than taught!
Especially in a time where many of us aren’t seeing family and friends, taking time to send a card or call them on the phone can make a world of a difference in someone’s day!
Teach kids that doing something without expecting anything in return is the truest form of kindness! It can be shown to people we know, but it’s often better to show it to those we don’t, even strangers. Going out of your way to do something unexpected leaves a lasting impression!
Another wonderful book our family loves is The Cool Bean! This provides great conversation on what it looks like to Be Kind, even if it isn’t necessarily deemed “Cool”. The main message being, it really IS cool to be kind! To go along with this book, we created a cool beans Kindness Jar.
We painted beans all the colors of the rainbow. We have two jars that sit atop a shelf, one full of beans, and the other waiting to be filled! Each time someone in our house “Finds a Way to be Kind Today”, they get to put beans in the jar. Our purpose is to promote CONSISTENT kindness, each and every single day.
Once the entire jar is completely full of beans, we’ll choose an adventure to enjoy as a family! We want to reward our kids for the kind choices they make, so they truly know the value of BEING KIND
If you would like to create your own family kindness jar and spread some joy today, and every day, you can download these free printable kindness cards and jar label below!
GET MY FREE KINDNESS CARDS/LABELS
On this day, National Random Acts of Kindness Day, take some time to spread some cheer….through a cup of coffee, thoughtful text, helping a neighbor, encouraging a friend, sharing something, praising your partner, or simply acknowledging a stranger! However you choose, remember to BE KIND!
