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Kindness Counts

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     Kind kids. Parents can likely agree this is a top characteristic we want our children to possess. Yes, honesty, integrity, generosity, courage, resilience (the list could go on for ages) are all important characteristics too. But there is something about kindness ... it leaves a lasting impression and sticks with us, sometimes for years. And I don’t know about you, but I think the world needs a lot more of it. Being kind starts at home though. Kindness may be a natural tendency for some children, but it still has to be modeled and taught. Parents, teachers and caregivers have daily opportunities to foster, develop and strengthen children’s kindness skills over time. Check out our ABCs below to find new ideas for your family to start spreading kindness!

A-Teach your children to acknowledge people you encounter in everyday life. For neighbors or workers, such as grocery cashiers, recycling or trash collectors or drive-thru workers, a simple “Hi, how are you?” or “Thank you!” goes a long way.

B-Make blessing bags for the homeless. A blessing bag consists of useful items, such as a bottle of water and granola bar, socks, lip balm, sunscreen, toothbrush and toothpaste. These can be kept in the car in case you run across someone while you’re out and about, or you can call a local homeless shelter to see whether they need bags.

C-Overland Park mom Nichole Fox has two children (soon to be three) and shares a super fun idea: “We attached kindness notes to candy canes and hung them on car handles. My son and his friends loved this, as they felt like they were on a secret mission trying not to get caught!”

D-Think daily acts of kindness. Catie Penrose, an Overland Park mom of three, says, “Holding the door open for others, picking up trash in parks, letting others go first and helping little ones on the playground are some of the simple, daily ways we try to spread kindness.”

E-Encourage someone. Chalk the sidewalk in your neighborhood or someone’s driveway with fun pictures and joyful words.

F-Buy flowers and randomly deliver to someone’s doorstep or buy a bouquet of flowers and hand out single stems at the grocery store as people leave.

G-Give a gift card to someone unexpectedly.

H-Help out without being asked.

I-Invite a neighbor over for dinner.

J-”On rainy days, we bake ‘just because’ treats together. We drive around, and the boys get to deliver their plate plus give a quick hello to their friends. It’s a simple way to spread a little love and joy!” shares Overland Park mom of three Catelin Corn.

K-Check out KindCraft.org if you are interested in learning about ways you can serve as a family or fun ways to incorporate kindness into your life. Courtney Smith, cofounder and president of KindCraft, as well as mom of two children, shares, “KindCraft offers families an opportunity to serve together once a month. We try to offer a wide variety of opportunities, including assembling blessing bags for the homeless, making happy kits for hospitalized children and painting Kindness Pavers for local nursing homes. We also offer Kindness Cards that can be used to perform small acts of kindness, such as baking treats for the fire department or donating toys to a charity.”

L-Host a lemonade stand and don’t charge, or if you do, donate the money to a charity that has value to your children.

M- “When we learn of a friend going through a tough time, we cook a meal for them. While cooking, we talk about how preparing a meal for someone can remind them of the support they have in our community,” says Catie.

N-Leave simple notes of kindness on a mirror, car or inside library books.

O-Open the door for others.

P-Paint or color pictures to put in the mail to friends or family. Who doesn’t love getting something besides a bill in the mail?!

Q-Tape quarters to a vending machine or fill the carts at Aldi.

R-Rake leaves for a neighbor or elderly person. Paint rocks and leave on a trail. Clean up a park and recycle what you can.

S-Smile!

T-Deliver treats to your local fire or police department.

U-“Understanding creates kindness ... I think we initiate kindness in our home by having open, honest, conversations about all things, including race, homelessness, people who are differently abled, etc. No topic is off limits,” says Skyler Srack, Shawnee mom of three.

V-Volunteer at Harvesters or Giving the Basics.

W-Wash the car or water plants for someone. Randomly wave at people.

X-X marks the spot! Hide a small treasure item for a younger neighbor or friend and have them find it using a treasure map.

Y-Do yard work for a neighbor. This could include pulling weeds, planting flowers, trimming bushes or mowing the grass.

Z-Zoom with a family member or friend.

     Whether you have a few minutes, a few hours, once a month or once a week, you are sure to find one idea listed here to begin incorporating into teaching your children about kindness. “We want kids to know they can make a difference in the lives of others just by spreading kindness and love,” Smith says. “You never know what someone else is experiencing, and your one small act of kindness could really turn their day around.” Colleen Conneally, Lenexa mom of three, drives this point home, saying, “Kindness is free. It doesn’t cost you anything to be kind, and both parties end up gaining something.” So get out there and be kind people!

What is your family’s favorite way to spread kindness?

Julie Collett writes from Overland Park where their family strives to show kindness to others. She’s looking forward to adding more random acts of kindness to their lives and cannot wait to try the candy cane idea at Christmas!

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