Ideas To Teach Kids Random Acts of Kindness

With all of the recent events that have occurred in our country, some children may be anxious or nervous.  The 24 hour nonstop coverage of protests, killings and violence is hard to escape.  The world they are growing up in has become hard, cold and frightening.  If we don't take a stand and advocate for change now, the future is looking very scary for the generations to come.  It is our responsibility as parents to help our children grow up to be better than we were.

Here are a few simple suggestions, you can do with your kids to help promote and teach them about kindness.  We must teach children when they are very young, about being kind and respectful towards others, or they may grow up and start to bully others that are different from themselves or be frighten of others that appear different.

• Teach them to say "Please" and "Thank You" to everyone, no matter who it may be, who does something kind for them.
• Hold the door open for someone walking in behind them at the store.
• Smile and ask how the cashier's day is going when checking out of a store.
• Bake cookies for your neighbors just because.
• Volunteer to help with dinner and set the table.
• Help Mom and Dad take out the trash or complete chores without asking.
• Buy someone they don't know a snack at school with their allowance.
• Be the first to say hello and be nice to the new students in their classrooms.
• Say "Have a Nice Day!" to their teachers, custodians and administrators.
• Donate their toys they are not playing with anymore to a children's shelter.
• Write a letter to an elderly relative or send them a post card.
• Hand out kindness coins or happy face post-its/stickers to random children when out with parents.
• Say "I love you" at least once everyday to your family.
• Volunteer to help at kid events.
• Drop off cookies or baked goods at the local fire station.
• Shake the hand of a police officer or military member and say thank you.
• Make hug and smile coupons for family members to be redeemed as needed.
• Most important, teach your children to "Be Kind Always"!

As you can see these are simple, very doable acts that may not seem grandiose in nature, but just imagine if a whole generation of children was kind to everyone?  No one can resist the smile or kind gesture of a child.  If more people made a conscious effort to be kind and respectful to one another, we would truly be leaving the world better off than when we first arrived.  Isn't that what parenting is all about? 

The bottom line is whether you are Black, White, Brown or whatever color, we are all part of the Human Race FIRST and foremost, and no one group is better than another.  Teach your child to be a judge of people's character and not their race, creed or color.

Remember - #Be.Kind.Always

#safeandunafraid