Earlier this week, I ran a couple errands and picked up a few holiday decorations for the house. I almost picked up a cute Advent calendar for my kids; although our family is not religious, I was raised in a Catholic house and remember the excitement of opening a designated compartment each day of the month leading up to Christmas. The variety in Advent calendars these days is mind-boggling! In addition to the traditional chocolate calendars, there are things like Hatchanimals, LEGOs, and Lip Smacker countdowns – just to name a few.
I know my kids would love any of those options. But – call me a Grinch – I also know that my little ones are two lucky ducks, and certainly don’t need additional toys or sugar this holiday season. (Read: they are spoiled.)
So instead of adding to what’s already a manic, saturated month of excess, I decided that our family “Advent” calendar would be centered around giving. Instead of getting a brief and meaningless surge of excitement from a colorful doodad or tasty morsel, we would try something intended to give us a much more meaningful and long-lasting high: an Advent of Kindness!
Here’s what I mean. Each day, we open a compartment to reveal a card describing an act of kindness. It’s our goal that day to carry out the action listed on the card. At dinner or before bed, we talk about whether we met our goal.
12/1: Play with someone that you don’t usually play with
12/2: Smile or wave at people who walk by
12/3: Hold the door open for someone
12/4: Put out some seed for the birds
12/5: Give someone a hug or fist bump
12/6: Tell someone you love them
12/7: Give someone a compliment
12/8: Tell a joke to make someone smile
12/9: Offer to help someone
12/10: Donate clothes to charity
12/11: Do something nice for a member of your family
12/12: Write a nice note to someone
12/13: Bring food to a collection
12/14: Invite a friend for a playdate
12/15: Clean up without being asked
12/16: Share a toy with a friend or sibling
12/17: Give your pet a special treat
12/18: Pick up some trash off the sidewalk or grass and throw it out or recycle
12/19: Donate books to the library or a charity
12/20: Call a relative or far-away friend to say hi
12/21: Give a special treat or present to your teacher
12/22: Help prepare a meal or snack
12/23: Leave a special treat or present for the mailman
12/24: Do something kind for yourself
12/25: Celebrate how much joy this season has brought us!
So far, we’ve had mixed success… but the calendar keeps acts of kindness on our brains during the month, and we’re all trying to meet our goals every day. The beauty of this Advent of Kindness is that you can tailor it to whatever you want to work on with your kids, and it’s good for people of all ages. Hopefully, being kind in the month of December will bring your family so much joy that acts of kindness will continue all year long!
