4 Easy Ways to Incorporate Kindness Each Month

April 6, 2015



This year we are trying to keep kindness going all year long with our kids.

Each month we’re including four things we hope to accomplish as part of our regular activities. We keep them posted on our dinner board (so we don’t miss them) and each time we accomplish one of them, we check them off the list!

This has become a great way for our kids to stay involved and give ideas and input into our giving every month. The four acts of kindness we complete every month are:
Our boys helping out at Place of Hope,
a local shelter in our community.
  • Thank you. Each month we write a thank you to someone. We try to think of someone who may not receive thanks for what they do. We’ve thanked our pastor, principals, teachers and family members. 
  • Bless. Every month we intentionally bless someone. This has come in a lot of different forms—making cookies, writing notes, giving gift cards to sick kids in our children's class—the possibilities are endless! 
  • Serve. At least once a month we are going to serve someone else. This can be a family member, friend, neighbor or stranger. It can be a special project--like making shoes for Sole Hope, putting together bags of handwarmers and socks for people experiencing homelessness or collecting personal care items for a local women’s shelter. Every month is different—some months it’s a larger project, other months it's something small. Either way, it’s a reminder of how important service to others is as Christians. 
  • Encourage. The final thing we do each month is encourage someone. This can be in the form of a note, small gift or act of service. Again, this is one where we ask our kids “who do we know that could use some encouragement this month?" The ideas that they come up with are usually pretty great.
If you are looking for an easy way to involve your kids every month in extending grace and kindness to others, these four things are an easy place to start and I have been amazed by the insight and ideas my kids come up with every month. Many things we do are low cost or free so with little time and effort, kindness can be incorporated into your family's life easily every month!

We want our children's faith to be so much more than words. We want them to take the words of Jesus literally--have compassion, take regard for the poor, love your enemies--these were not just nice things to say, but actual guidelines Jesus asks us to live out each day. Showing kindness every month by blessing, thanking, serving and encouraging is one small way we are able to follow his words.

Looking for some ideas of things to do? Check out the 25 days of Christmas kindness we do each year, complete with handy photos and links: 20122013201420152016, and 2017.

Are you looking for more resources? Have you checked out our books?


We've written two kindness devotionals, The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness and 100 Days of Kindness. They tell the story of how our families embarked on a one-year journey of kindness, and include our successes, failures, and the encouragement you need as a family to incorporate kindness into your own life.

Our newest book, One Good Word a Day, offers simple but deeply spiritual meditations that will help readers linger on one word each day so they can identify and reflect on how Jesus as the Word influences their daily lives. 
 
Looking for encouragement in your friendships? Our adult friendship devotional, The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship, includes a daily scripture, story, and friendship prompt. It's encouraging and slightly challenging (in a good way!) in helping you find, keep, and love your friends.  
 
Our devotional for tweens is a great complement to our devotional for women! 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls is written specifically for girls ages 8-12 as they navigate friendships in upper elementary and middle school. With a scripture, short story, reflection questions and 50 fun activities to do with you or friends, it's a wonderful way to encourage your daughter, niece, granddaughter, God daughter and her friends to build healthy friendships from an early age.

We would love to walk alongside you in encouragement, inspiration, and community. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram as The Ruth Experience or sign up for our monthly newsletter (no spam, ever), here.

If you already have one of our books and love them, we'd so appreciate it if you leave a review on Amazon. 

We're in this together,

Kendra, Julie and Kristin

10 comments

  1. This is such a great reminder. We become so busy with everyday life that we sometimes forget the little things that are so important like kindness.

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    1. So true! I think that's why I need an easy way to remember :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Kendra, YAY! We love serving others and completing acts of kindness as a family. Your four ways make it easy to remember to do. Cheers!

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    1. That's awesome Sheila! I love hearing of others who like to do acts of kindness as well! Blessings!

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  3. I absolutely LOVE this post, Kendra! I just made my fiance stop what he's doing to listen to it since I want our future kids to be intentioned with kindness, too! Fabulous read.

    cominguprosestheblog.com

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    1. Thank you so much Erica! Your comment blessed me! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. Loving your pictures and the simple and beautiful way you have put your story across - you're an inspiration and I am following your journey - awesome work!

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