Connecting with Kindness
You’ve seen the overwhelmed mom out and about, carrying a kid on her hip, balancing coffee and pushing an overloaded shopping cart. She’s rushing to throw handfuls of snacks in before her other child loses his patience.
The best gift a stranger could give to her in that moment (other than a spa day and a five-hour nap), would be to let her cut in at the checkout line.
I once saw a mother at the zoo pushing a stroller with two crying kiddos who probably felt self-conscious until another mom exclaimed, “You’re doing a great job, Mama!” That sentiment was exactly what she—and most all moms—needed to hear in that moment.
I read a social media post that detailed how an anonymous friend left a box of doughnuts and iced coffee on the front porch of a busy, sleep-deprived mom with two young children one weekend morning. Needless to say, she was grateful.
I’ve been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of kind gestures like this as well. Just recently, a stranger cut in front of the drive-thru line to pay for my Starbucks order. An Old Navy cashier told me I brightened her day. A stranger at Target told me I just looked like a good mom. Parenting is a hard job, and some days a kind word or thoughtful gesture is all it takes to lift a person’s spirits.
Why not extend that kindness to complete strangers? Someone you don’t even know is having a particularly tough day or week, and a random, intentional act of kindness will spark joy in her life.
We have compiled a sweet, simple list of ways to connect with kindness because we think the world could use more of that!
Easy Ideas for Kids
- Ask your teacher what you can do to help.
- Give someone a nice compliment.
- Hang out with someone who needs a friend.
- Pick up five pieces of trash at recess.
- Give someone your best smile.
- Write the office secretary a thank you note.
- Read to a sibling.
- Do an extra chore.
- Make a bird feeder.
Make Someone’s Day
- Compliment a colleague.
- Let someone go ahead of you in line.
- Mail a thank you note to a teacher.
- Give a social media shout-out to a small business.
- Bake cookies for a neighbor.
- Encourage someone.
- Help clean up a mess.
- Sponsor a child.
- List five things you admire about a coworker’s character and leave it on his or her desk anonymously.
Share the Wealth
- Stick a $5 gift card on someone’s windshield.
- Leave a generous tip on a small bill.
- Order pizza for the entire office.
- Buy someone’s groceries.
- Pay for someone’s Starbucks order.
- Deliver doughnuts to a neighbor with young kids.
- Anonymously cover someone’s bill at a restaurant.
- Schedule a DoorDash delivery to a friend’s house.
Do Something as a Family
- Collect items for an animal shelter.
- Donate blood (if the kids are old enough).
- Bring a donation box to your local church or a shelter.
- Bake cookies to deliver and share with Grandma and Grandpa.
- Volunteer at a school event.
- Take a nature walk and pick up trash. (With gloves on or using something to pick up contaminated pieces, of course. Safety first!)
- Return a stray dog to its owner.
People cut each other off in traffic, yell at fast food employees when their order isn’t perfect or get impatient in long grocery lines. We hope the world starts to connect through more kind gestures like these rather than frustrated ones.
Emily Morrison is a freelance writer, former copy editor, full-time mommy and Disney fanatic who lives in Independence with her husband, son, daughter and dog.