You know I think that it is important for children to give back to others. I have talked about it a lot on this blog. This is a wonderful time of year to show kindness to to others. People that we have know for a long time. People that we will only know briefly and people that we will probably never meet.
Appreciate Your Mail Carrier and Others in Your Community
Creating a simple card or portrait of the community helper to present to them along with thanks for what they do.
Buy Two More Cans
When you are at the store, have your child select two cans of vegetables or soup that you can donate to a local food bank.
Cart Returns
We find grocery carts all over store parking lots. Taking a few minutes to put a few in the cart return area will make it easier for others to park and clears that lot.
Design a Snowflake
Create a collection of snowflakes and deliver them to a nursing home. Ask the receptionist if there is anyone who needs a surprise. Tell them you have brought a snowstorm that can be used to decorate this person’s room.
Enter Buildings and Hold the Door
Teach your children to look back as they are going through a door. If there is someone coming up right behind you, hold the door open for them.
Find a Person to Show Love To
Check with your local church and see if there is a person you really could use a card, a home cooked meal, or maybe even someone to sit by them at church. I still get Christmas cards from the widower I sat with at my old church.
Greetings
Children can learn from us how to greet people. Do we say “Good morning!”, “How are you?”, or even “I am so glad I have run in you!” A simple greeting can really make someone’s day.
Helping Hands
Keeping our eyes open to what is going on around us can help us see ways to offer a helping hand. Neighbors that need help with weeding their yard. People that drop things and need help picking them up. There are opportunities to serve others all around us.
Iced Tea or Burgers
When you are going through a drive through to pick up a meal or a drink, why not pay for the drink or the burger for the car behind you. You don’t have to pick up their whole meal if you don’t want to. You can simply pay for their beverage.
Jumping in Front of You in Line
If you have someone in line behind you at a store with only two items or a very fussy child, why not let them go in front of you in line.
Keep Library Shelves Neat
After story time at the library, the shelves at our library are a mess. If you happen to see library books all messed up or on the floor or scattered across the top of the shelves, take a minute to put them away.
Let People Know You Care
Take a moment when you pick your child up for school or a lesson to have them thank their teachers or instructors for what they do.
Move to the Middle
We usually sit at the end of the pew at church so that we can leave quickly if we need to. That means everyone that gets to church late has to crawl over the people on the ends like us to get to an open seat. Whether you are at church or the movies why not move to the middle.
Necessities Shared with Others
Save the little bottles of shampoo and body wash that hotels have out for you during your stays and give them to your local homeless shelter. Visitors to homeless shelters are often given a packet of toiletries. Miniature bottles of shampoo and body wash are perfect for those packets.
Open Your Boxes
Simply opening your cardboard cereal and other food boxes so they are flat before you put them in the recycling bin will save space for others to put their items to be recycled.
Please and Thank You
Remembering to say please and thank you to family members and others we encounter shows them a certain form of respect. We all need that.
Quest for Treasures to Donate
Have your children join you in a quest around your home to look for things that you can donate to a local charity.
Remembering to Respect
Remembering that everybody is human and needs respect is important. It is so easy to make a comment about how someone looks, acts, or lives. Remembering to teach our children that we can help someone that needs help. We can remember that what someone is doing maybe due to something that has happened to them. Talking about people we encounter with respect helps children to not look down on someone just because they are different.
Saving Coupons
Did you know that you could save coupons even recently expired ones and send them to military bases? Children can cut out coupons that you can send to bases around the world.
Treats for Service People
I know I talked about drawing pictures and making them cards, but you could also make cookies with your kids and take them to your local fire department or police station.
Use Your Gifts
Each of us have been given unique gifts as have each of our children. Look for ways to use your gifts to help others around you.
Volunteer
Does your local school need reading buddies? Does your church need Sunday school helpers? Is there a senior in your neighborhood that needs a ride to church? There are so many ways that we can help others.
Watch Each Others Children
If you have a friend that needs to have someone watch their children while they go to the doctors or even just the store, ask if you can help.
X-Ray Your Attitude About Giving
Stop for a moment and look at why you are giving. Are you giving just to because your school or church is having a drive? Are you trying to make a difference? It may not matter to the person you are giving to, but it can make a difference in your life. Giving from my heart some how effects me differently than doing it out of obligation.
Zipper Up and Mitten In
When you are buying or your child a new pair of mittens or a winter coat, remember to donate the ones your child has grown out of. Just this year I have had two different opportunities to donate coats JDaniel can no longer wear. I had only one coat to give so I have to go to a consignment store to get the second one. I am so glad there are two more four year olds that have warm coats.
These are just a few ideas of ways to show kindness. I bet you can come up with at least 26 more.
Allison says
What a wonderful list! We’ve started a new tradition in our home this year called the Christmas Angel, and I’ve found in challenging to come up with a different gift/service that my 4 and 6 year olds can do each day. Thank you for sharing!
http://www.missallisonart.com/blog-my-26-hour-days.html
Karen @BakingInATornado says
I think sometimes the big picture is daunting and we feel like we can’t make an impact, but it’s nice to remember that the place to start is just with little steps in our families and in our neighborhoods and in our communities.
AMBER EDWARDS says
Such a beautiful post and brilliant ideas for simple acts of kindness. If everyone always thought to be kind; much of our world would be different.
MikiHope says
I love that list–and even before this current tragedy I have always attempted to do random acts of kindness–I think it is wonderful that you are teaching JD this early in life! I also agree that he does NOT need to know why this all started.
OneMommy says
Just saw this the other day and love the idea of 26 acts of kindness. You have a wonderful list of ideas!
Raising a Happy Child says
Great list – you make it so easy for others to join this cause!
Kim Croisant says
I bought a meal for a family at Kroger last time I was there. I think I’ll do it again and maybe even again until they are all gone (for the holidays). Thanks for reminding us all about how to be kind.
doseofreality says
I think the idea of doing acts of kindness to honor those lost in Newtown is a beautiful idea. I love the ideas you’ve listed. They are a great way to get started.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
Those are all wonderful ways to show kindness! Thank you for sharing.
Jessica Heights says
Great ideas! 🙂
Susie B. Homemaker says
Great list of simple ways for kids and adults to show kindness. I hope that out of the tragedy of what happened in Newtown, Connecticut we can all learn to be nicer to each other all throughout the year.
DeFrazier says
Amen, Susie, Amen.
DeFrazier says
Amen, Susie, Amen.
Sue says
Wonderful.
And merry Christmas to you!
=)
Chris Carter says
What a beautiful message and excellent ideas of kindness. Wouldn’t it be so lovely if everyone just did them all? Very simple, and yet it can impact so many…
LOVE MELISSA:) says
This is amazing! I am still having trouble sleeping whenever I think about Newton and by following these acts of kindness, it will certainly help! Thanks do much!
Mama Luvs Books says
That is AWESOME!!! Happy holidays!!!
Vanessa says
Great ideas!!! Love doing random acts of kindess and especially teaching children to spread joy and kindness to others!!
Happy Sharefest & Merry Christmas!
TerinAleah says
What a great list! Thank you for the ideas!
~ Noelle says
what a great list…
we have been trying to do our 26 acts…
I should blog about it…
🙂
Shannon says
That is a great list. I try to show my 2 year old how to be kind, and I think she has her own ways, but she loves to share with her baby brother, whether he likes it or not.
Colette S says
Wonderful list darling!
I agree!
Christa aka The BabbyMama says
This is a great post, but zow… in the image, that mom is letting her kiddo touch a hot baking sheet. Yikes!
JDaniel4's Mom says
I didn’t look at it that way, but I guess you are right.
Isil Simsek says
Brilliant ideas!
Carrie says
Wow, so me great ideas!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Pennies of Time says
Thanks for this list! My boys and I are always looking for great ideas to serve.
Ashley says
These are such wonderful ideas! I definitely need to do more with my kids, so this may be a good place to start!