30 Days of Teaching Boys to Be Kind - Part 2

This has been a good week. I literally have not heard my boys fight once.

Not once. I can barely believe it myself.

This week, we've been on track with them of picking out their cards and doing nice things for each other, us as their parents and for strangers. It's funny how quickly you can change when your focus is not 100% on yourself. When you try to make others happy, you become happier too.

I've also had my oldest son, Ashton, each morning looking up bible verses. He's taking the time while eating breakfast to locate the verses and he's writing them word-for-word. And then we talk for a few minutes about what it means and how he can translate it to his day.

I had another thought this morning about being kind - that it is most certainly taught by the way my husband and I treat each other. Of course, as a married couple - we don't always use the nicest words towards each other. But we should. He's my partner, my best friend - why do we sometimes feel as though we can speak negative words over our spouse? Say things to them that we would never say to some random person walking on the street.

The challenge of this week is to continue having the boys do their "Kind Cards" as they have been known as this week, continue with our daily bible verses and in addition to all of that....my husband and I need to make sure that we are only using kind words towards each other...and to our children.

If you're a parent - you know how hard it can all be. Things get stressed - you have 50 million things to do tonight, and  you still have no idea what you're fixing for supper....and everyone is complaining that their hungry (at least that's what my nights are like sometimes!!)

What is it......if you don't have anything nice today, don't say anything at all?

That will our motto this week.

By the way - here's the second week of "Kind Cards", fill in the blank ones to suit your family!

Enjoy!

-Sam

30 Days of Teaching Boys to Be Kind

Boys are rough and tumble.

Boys are dirty and sometimes smelly.

They're loud and sweet and sticky.

I watch my boys play and see them wrestle with each other and love on each other...and sometimes hate on each other. I know that all of this is pretty normal. But when I really started paying attention to how they are treating each other when they are "hating" each other, I quickly realized that it was not normal.

Wrestling sometimes turns too rough. Hands hit, words get sharp. These sharp words, each time they get mad or frustrated with each other were really starting to bother me. I hate having to constantly remind them of using "nice words".  To be kind to each other.

I thought that maybe my boys....or just boys in general....might have a hard time knowing how to be kind to each other. Do they know how to say kind words to each other without hitting? Is there a way for my son to say "I love you" without wrestling his brother to the ground?

While boys will always be rough and tumble...and they should be. We as parents can also teach them to be kind loving boys - which will translate to manhood. To teach them to be caring men, fathers, and husbands.

 

I decided to challenge my boys to 30 days of kindness. Each day doing something for each other, us as their parents or to a complete stranger...to show kindness. And to not expect anything in return.

 

How would this change them? How would this change the relationship between brothers? Of course there will always be disagreements and times when you don't like each other...but would "learning to be kind" change how they act during those times?        

For this challenge, I printed out 30 cards for them. I wrote things they could do to show kindness and love for each other...

- Help your brother pick up his room during chores

- Ask your brother how his day was.

- Tell your brother how proud you are of him

 

We'll also be spending each night of the next 30 days reading through our bibles, searching for verses about being kind and loving those around us. Here is the first list that we'll be working with: Knowing Jesus

Below you'll find a free printable of the set of cards. Sit down with your kids (of course, this is perfect for both boys and girls) and have them come up with a few things that they can do for each other to show love and kindness.  Make sure and come back next week for an update and the next set of cards.

 

Enjoy......Sam