Teaching Kids About Kindness & Giving in the Holiday Season

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Now that my kids are getting older, I am trying to teach them that Christmas isn’t just about receiving. The real joy in Christmas can be found in giving. Trust me, my kids are just excited as any other child to unwrap their presents come Christmas morning, but I want to teach them to be intentional about being kind & sharing their love this Christmas season. The more I teach them gratitude and kindness, I’m hoping, the more it will become a habit. So today, I am sharing ways you can nurture kindness, encourage gratitude, & the joy of giving in your child this holiday season.

1. Spread Love & Kindness Christmas Countdown

(Free Printable):

I created a Christmas Countdown Acts of Kindness printable that you can complete with your children throughout the Christmas season. I tried to pick some tasks that are super simple for kids to complete on their own (make a thank you card for someone, smile at everyone you see today) as well as some that you can do as a family together (donate toys, clothes, or food or take donuts to the fire station). These can be completed daily, weekly, or even have a fun “Acts of Kindness Day” where you spread kindness together all day. The general idea is to put the list out in a visible spot where your kids are reminded to share their joy & love often. I made this into a printable so you can print & use in your own home. For directions on how to print, read below:

Click here to download & print or Right click on the image to open it in a new window. You can save it or print from there. Make sure to scale it to size when printing!

2. Teach Your Kids About St. Nicholas

Santa Claus is also known as St. Nick. St. Nicholas was actually a real Saint who was known for being kind, helping those in need, & for his love for children. You can find more about St. Nicholas & additional resources here. St. Nicholas often left things for those in need, without wanting any rewards or publicity. He often left bread for families in need, on their door steps, while they were asleep. This is how the tradition started of children leaving out their shoes on the night of December 5th, in hopes that St. Nicholas would stop by & fill their shoes with treats. Courtney wrote a post about celebrating The Feast of St. Nicholas with some great ideas to do with your family, including establishing the “filling the shoes” tradition with her own kids.

3. Read Holiday Stories that Encourage A Giving Spirit

Here are some great books & videos that teach about St. Nick & encourage giving in the holiday season to have in your own family library during the holiday season:

The Legend of St. Nicholas

Berenstain Bears & The Joy of Giving

Humphrey’s First Christmas

Silver Packages

An Orange for Frankie

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of a A Christmas Legend

The Legend of the Poinsettia

Spirit of Christmas : A Giving Tradition

4. Take Time Amidst Holiday Chaos to Say Grace

and Discuss Blessings & Kindness during Meal Times

The holiday season is busy with parties, events, shopping, & so much more. But try to take time each day to take a break from the chaos and say thanks & share gratitude for your daily lives. This often happens at dinner time for our house. We sit down, say our blessing, & as we talk about our days, we try to highlight with our kids some of the things that they are grateful for.

I love the items in the shop, Grace Settings (Website: http://www.gracesettings.com/), that encourage your kids to say grace at each meal. Grace Settings makes personalized placemats, plates, & bowls with a daily prayer written right on there for the child to easily say “grace” before each meal. Give a gift to remind your kids each and everyday to count their blessings with one of these adorable place settings form Grace Settings. Here are some of the great selection that can be found at Grace Settings:

We would love for you to share your own tips & tricks on how to teach kindness & encourage the spirit of giving in your own kids. Please leave a comment with us!

Now, here’s to a joy-filled & giving holiday season!