I absolutely love that Sprout is searching for a kind kid to be their “Chief Kindness Officer”! Teaching and fostering kindness in our children is so important and Sprout wants to share how our kids demonstrate acts of kindness. (For more info on the contest click here!) Now, more than ever before, I’m seeing how important it is to model the behavior and habits I hope my girls will one day take on as their own. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to program them to be any certain way, I’m just trying to set a good example. I value kindness and thoughtfulness and if I don’t demonstrate those qualities then how can I expect them to? I think this contest is a great way for me to show Gia that there are so many different ways we can be kind everyday. I hope you will be inspired to talk to your little ones about kindness and share a picture as well. Who knows? You might win a trip to Sprout’s HQ and better yet, a charitable donation will be made in your childs’ name!
A kind act, big or small, can make a huge difference. Gia’s only 3 now, but it’s never too soon to stress that kindness towards others, ourselves, and even our surroundings is important. So, when I see a piece of trash on the ground I pick it up. When I go to the kitchen, I offer to get a drink or something to eat. When my husband is doing the dishes, I go and dry them and put them away. Slowly but surely I have seen an awareness and understanding in my daughter. Lately, when I empty the dishwasher, she runs to the kitchen to help hand me each and every plate! It might take me twice as long to empty but I let her know how much I appreciate her help. My real reward is seeing that prideful emotion wash over her face and curl her lips into a smile. I think kids want to help, they want to participate, and they want to emulate their parents actions. That is so powerful and I try each and every day not to forget that.
So, in the spirit of sharing kind acts here is a picture of Gia helping me in the garden and in the kitchen!
Michele Lepe 
The rewards of teaching kindness are amazing. The smiles, the laughter, happiness, it’s beautiful. In November, I’m going to give each of my children different tasks for kindness: 1. Giving out roses to strangers and 2. Helping an organization hands-on. I can’t wait!
Keep sharing and giving!
She looks just like you, Michele: TOTALLY ADORABLE!! 🙂
We are watching you right now! My 1 year old twins, Landon and Lucia, love to watch you guys! Nothing throughout the day gets them to sit as still as watching you and Star. Tonight the Berenstein Bears are keeping them quite busy! I love the cuddling time it gives me with my kiddos. My son has a rare heart condition, so any time I get a few minutes just to hold the 2 of them and snuggle, I truly enjoy it…
Good points Michele. In a related note about modeling, I was on the fence about spanking until someone pointed out that “how can you expect your child not to hit if you’re the one doing the hitting yourself”. Since then, I don’t spank my 2yo anymore. (I think I read that on baby center).
Timeout seems to work much better.
Also, I once heard “you should always smile at young children so they know the world is a nice place”. Not sure where that came from, but I do practice is frequently. 🙂
That is a sweet hat!