30 Day Random Acts of Kindness Challenge (Week 1): Kindness to Family

Hooray! Today is the first post in our 30 day acts of kindness challenge! Who's excited and ready to do some good deeds with their family?

Below is the Week 1 challenge! Remember, adjust the activities and discussion ideas to what works for your family. Do some of it, or all of it!

 

 

Just joining us? Awesome!  Go here for more info about the Your Vibrant Family 30 Day Kindness Challenge!

WEEK 1: February 1-7

Acts of Kindness to Our Family (in Words, Tone and Body Language)

Kindness Goal for the Week:

To begin talking about kindness and why it’s important; to discover how our words and tone hurt/affect others; and to put what we’re learning into practice.

Family Discussion Time About Kindness:

• Explain the 30 Days to Kindness Challenge and some of the ways you may be participating this month.
• If there has been some hurt and resentment between family members, you may want to offer an opportunity for anyone to apologize for past actions (sometimes this is easier if the parents lead the way by apologizing for a recent action or attitude).
• Ask each other—how can I be more kind to you with my words, tone and body language (again, parents lead this and listen)?

[Tweet “Share your family's acts of kindness with this hashtag: #YVF30DayKindnessChallenge “]

Suggested Kindness Activities

Activity #1: Creating Kindness Papers

• Gather the family together (or even just the kids if your husband is unavailable).
• Hand each person a sheet of address labels (or how many they’ll need for three labels per number of people in your family) and a blank piece of paper.
• Have everyone write their own name on the blank piece of paper.
• Ask them to write down three things—one thing on each label—that they love and appreciate about each individual family member. This can be a word, a sentence, two sentences: whatever you want.
  

  Bonus–if you want, you can take a few minutes to write your name in a really cool way. I hadn't done that since like 3rd grade.

• Once all the labels are filled out, take turns sharing what’s on your labels and literally give each of those labels to each person, placing them on their blank page.
• Each person should end up with three labels—full of kind, encouraging words—from each person stuck on their blank page.

Activity #2: Daily Accountability Kindness Jar

• Fill up a jar with beans, beads, or whatever's handy.
• Mark another empty jar with a line.
• Then, every time the kids practice kind words, tone or body language, move a bean/bead to the empty jar.
• Tell the kids that if they reach a certain level then get a fun park day, hike, trip to ice cream place, etc!

Do this (even for a few days!) and you'll be AMAZED at the changes in behavior!!

Kindness Write, Discuss or Draw Topic

Who is the hardest person for you to be kind to in our family? Why?

When you did the “Kind Papers” activity, was it hard or easy to think of nice words about that particular person?

What is one way that you can use kind words and a kind tone with that person? Write, discuss and/or draw about it.

Kindness Bible Verses to Write, Discuss or Draw

These are the verses we’re going to talk/draw through this week—one for each day. Of course, feel free to choose others if you'd like.

Read the verse together and discuss its meaning. How can you apply each verse to what you've been learning this week about kindness? 

You can also learn fun ways to memorize these scriptures here. 

Proverbs 16:24: Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.

1 Thessalonians 5:11: Encourage one another and build each other up.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5: Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous, or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand it’s own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

Galatians 5:22: The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, selflessness, gentleness and self-control.

James 4:11-12: Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.

This Week’s Kindness Resources

Disclaimer: My family and may or may not have personally used all of these resources.

You've got to check out the great resources on the Your Vibrant Family Teaching Kids Kindness Pinterest board!

 

Being Kind Counts homepage

“Kindness Ideas” by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

“Random Acts of Kindness for Kids” by My Life and Kids

“Act of Kindness–Rock Messages” by Me Plus 3

“Thank You Notes… Just Because” by P is for Preschooler

“Top Picks from 14 Days of Loving Kindness” by The Good Long Road

“Acts of Kindness for Kids” by Coffee Cups and Crayons

“Random Acts of Service and Kindness for Kids” by Sugar Aunts

“Montessori-Inspired 100 Acts of Kindness Project” by Living Montessori Now

Want More Kindness Resources?

RandomActsofKindness.org has awesome free lesson plans on how to teach kindness in the classroom. The Kindergarten-through-12-Grade plans are geared for the traditional classroom, but can be adjusted for a family or homeschool setting. Check them out here!

Tell Us About Your Kindness Acts!

• Invite Others. Share this post on your own FB page, Twitter feed, Pinterest page (or whatever social media you enjoy) and invite others to join us! Don't forget to use the hashtag #YVF30DayKindnessChallenge!

• Share Ideas! If you have other kindness ideas, resources or Bible verses that can encourage others, please share them in the comments below!

I can’t wait to see all the beauty that will come from a deliberate focus on kindness! I look forward to hearing your stories this week!