Dear Parents,
“A reminder to grownups: kids are learning how to treat each other and solve problems by watching YOU”
– Kid President –
This statement hits home don’t you think?
Sometimes my son will do something that frustrates me and then later I realise that’s it’s something he’s learned from me, I do that thing.
When it comes to spreading kindness and making the world a more tolerant and safe place for everyone, what we do and how we treat people has a great impact on how our children treat people. My child was at a table recently and when he saw someone who had pineapple on their pizza he exclaimed that it’s “just too weird” and I had to remind him that just because we think it’s weird doesn’t mean they can’t love it, the same way he loves to dip his salty fried into his cream soda (no he did not learn this bit from me).
We are all humans on a big rock hurtling through space around a giant star that can implode at any moment* so why not spend our time here with a little less judgement and a whole lot more kindness cause if you think about it it’s not that hard! Small things can make the biggest difference in someone’s day and if you’ve ever accidentally passed on a smile you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say that kindness is contagious. So let’s spread it everywhere!
Here are a few ideas for you and the kids to do this month to spread a bit of kindness, and most of them are free so no excuse 🙂
- Have the kids write letters or make cards to post to family and friends
- Crochet or knit beanies for the maternity ward at your local government clinic
- Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line
- Write a happy note and leave it in your favourite book in a bookstore for the stranger who buys it
- Leave a ziplock back with a travel pack of wipes and a few nappies on a public changing station
- Write “you are beautiful” on a sticky note and it on a mirror in a public bathroom.
- Drop off a plate of cookies at the public library, police station, etc.
- Offer to take a shopping trolley back to the cart corral for someone else at the store
- Hold the door open for someone and greet them brightly
- Smile at a frazzled looking parent and tell them they’re doing a great job.
- Compliment a stranger
Love is love and peanut butter with sriracha on toast is the best
Charlie.
* I’m not a astrophysicist or any fancy scientist so don’t judge me on my elaborate description here 😉
YAY free quotes to download and print
