February 17th is RAK Day! “Random Acts of Kindness” come in many forms and teaching our kids what a RAK is and how to deliver it will set up our homes, schools and communities to evolve into better places. Our world often seems to be in a barrage of chaos with people in opposition to one another. Then comes the clear light of day through the smile we see in the parking lot, the word of encouragement we hear from friend, or the forgiveness we receive when we don’t feel worthy. Kids make perfect ambassadors for kindness.
And helping kids to show kindness is a great way to teach and reinforce empathy! You can do this by asking your child how she thinks someone will feel when she does something kind for them. That could sound something like “How do think our neighbor, Mrs. M, will feel when we take her these cookies that you helped to bake?” If your child has some difficulty putting herself in another person’s shoes, you could help her by saying “How would you feel if someone brought you some nice warm, yummy cookies?….Yes. You would feel happy. I bet that that is how Mrs. M would feel, too.” Finally, you can help your child to feel good about what she’s done, and increase the chances that she will do kind things in the future, by asking her to reflect on how good it feels to help make someone else happy. That might sound like “How do you feel when you know that you just made Mrs. M happy?…That’s right. You feel happy, too! When we do kind things for people, they feel good and we feel good, too.” When people feel empathy with others and feel good about doing good, the world can be a kinder place!
Below is a list of easy suggestions for things that kids can do to express their kindness. Develop a “RAKtivist” today!
- Give a flower
- Eat lunch with someone new
- Listen to your heart
- Visit a sick friend
- Clean a neighbor’s walkway
- Offer a smile
- Make a new friend
- Pick up litter
- Say hello
- Open someone’s door
- Help carry a load
- Share a snack
- Thank a teacher or mentor
- Leave a thank you note
- Offer your seat
- Let someone else go first
- Bake cookies to share
- Give a compliment
- Donate your gently used toys
- Lend a pencil
- Respect others
- Walk a dog
- Smile at someone
- Forgive mistakes
For more about Random Acts of Kindness Day (which can extend for the whole week) check out the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation web site.
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