Hello again dear reader!
Welcome to our November Edition of Random Acts of Kindness!
Thank you for following our blog. We share information here about getting out of debt, the benefits of bankruptcy, and tips on savvy financial management, saving more and spending less. Certainly, these are critical topics for our financial futures, but we also like to share stories on random acts of kindness. Just some feel-good news to remind us of the good in the world!
A Kindness Jar
A “Kindness Jar” is a simple and effective way to teach children about kindness. A recent article by Nevin Martell, Let Your Children Teach You About Kindness with This Simple Act, teaches us that honoring kindness is as easy as filling a jar with pebbles.
Nevin has a son in pre-Kindergarten. In his son’s classroom sits a vase that is filled with various colors of small disks called “kindness pebbles.” Each pebble represents an act of kindness carried out by one of the students. Except for the red pebbles – those recognize a collective act of kindness done by the whole class.
Kindness pebbles are awarded to the children when their teacher notices one of them doing something especially helpful or empathetic. For example, a child may receive a kindness pebble if he comforted a classmate after he fell down, or if she shared a toy with a classmate or did extra work during cleanup.
When a kindness pebble is awarded the child who earned it is brought to the front of the room and the teacher recounts the child’s act of kindness or good deed. The pebble is then added to the Kindness Jar.
The purpose of the Kindness Jar is to recognize kindness and to reinforce kindness. Nevin writes that the two steps are important because “the school is working to develop its students’ desires to be selflessly kind, not kind for the sake of a reward.”
Bringing the Kindness Jar Home
Nevin’s son brought the concept of the Kindness Jar home. Without prompting from his parents, he created a Kindness Jar at their house. He doled out the first two kindness pebbles to his mom for ” holding his astronaut helmet while they watched a movie” and to his dad for “helping him with an art project.”
Nevin and his wife have since given their son kindness pebbles for “helping clean up without being prompted and for spontaneously sharing with us.” The family may also be recognized for a collective good deed with a red kindness pebble. Nevin’s son decided their family deserved a red kindness pebble after they hosted a party and did a good job of being kind to their guests.
Nevin shares, “It did feel nice to be recognized for a good deed because it inspired me to pause for a moment and be grateful for all the kindness in my life—both given and received.” We have an opportunity every day to practice kindness. He went on to say, “And it was a reminder that what might seem like a small gesture could have a big impact on someone else.”
Perhaps you would like to create a Kindness Jar for your family! More kindness makes our world a better place. Never forget the positive impacts extending kindness will have on your family, your friends, yourself—and the world.
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
– Scott Adams
It doesn’t take money or talent to be kind. Give random acts of kindness a try. We’d love to hear about the kindness you spread into the world! Feel free to post stories about your acts of kindness on our Facebook page!
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