Kind Kids

Let’s talk about KIND KIDS.

 

You may have heard me say this before, but I repeat it because it is so true:  KIDS.  GET.  IT.

 

They do!  Kids understand being kind.  They like to be kind.  And if they are given opportunities to do so (and examples of how to do so) – they spread kindness like wild flower seeds.

 

So today I want to share the stories of 4 KIND KIDS that happened just this week.  These are 4 kids in my community.  I am sure if you look around your community (it won’t be too hard, I promise), you will find children near you demonstrating kindness to the world, too. 

 

First off, these cuties – S and H (brother and sister).  Their school was delayed for 2 hours on Friday because of a water main break.  Because of that their house and many in their neighborhood didn’t have any water.  Now, many kids would be delighted when they heard school was delayed.  I mean – that could be 2 extra hours in bed!  Or a trip to the park!  Or puzzles or Lego or coloring or Pokemon or watching a movie… 

 

But S and H had a kind idea of how to use those 2 hours.  Instead of PLAYING, they would spread kindness!  Their mom helped them put their plan into action by taking them to the local grocery store (because sometimes acts of kindness need a little assistance). 

 

Kind Kids in action!

  

You see, their idea was to get WATER for all of their neighbors! 

 

So, they stocked up on water then got busy delivering it house to house!  And to make it even MORE special, H chanted, “Kind is Cool!  Kind is Cool!” while they were out on deliveries. 

 

Isn’t that so fun?  And their act of kindness actually had an immediate kindness ripple.  The employee at the grocery store commented that they were sure buying a lot of water.  When they explained their mission, he went to the bakery in the store and brought them each back a COOKIE.  Thanks grocery guy!

Working hard to spread kindness

 

(P.S. – H and S do loooots of kind things.  Why, just the other day they came over to help Kindness Activist make lots of cool shaped crayons!)

 

The next kind kid being highlighted today is Ixel.  Ixel is a proud member of the Pantry Crew and does many very kind things. 

 

One thing Ixel is adamant about is making sure pantry guests have adequate supplies for when they are having their periods.  She knows how important that is both for health and dignity.  (I don’t think she knows how expensive tampons and pads are, and that people cannot use their EBT cards to purchase them, which is a whole other story that I shouldn’t get started on because I will get riled up about how unfair it all is…).

 

Anyway, since Ixel likes to put period supplies in the pantry, when we recently had a big donation of pads, I asked her if she would take on the job of putting them into baggies and she kindly agreed. 

 

Hard at work making sure pantry guests have period supplies

And then something perfect happened.  When Ixel and her mom were bringing the bags of pads back over to put in the storage area, they saw some guests at the pantry.  It was three women who stop by once a week and they were looking in the pantry.  I think that they clean the home across the street, and when they are finished cleaning, they put all of their supplies back in their car and walk over to the pantry to see if there is anything they need.  I have watched them before – they are very sweet and are careful to share with one another. 

 

When Ixel saw them, she asked if they needed any pads.  Of course they said YES!  So, Ixel explained the different kinds of pads she had just bagged up and gave them their options.  Not only did they get feminine hygiene products, they got CHOICES!  (And they got to have a conversation with Ixel’s mom about how expensive it is to buy pads in the store!)

 

I love that Ixel is so kind and so comfortable talking about periods.  Those women were lucky to be at the pantry at just the right time!!

P.S. - Ixel did all of that work on the day her school was cancelled!  

 

The last kind kid for today is June Bug.  If you have read other entries here you may remember her for hosting a Kindness Hot Cocoa stand a few months ago.  She decided she wanted to use some of the money she raised at the stand to buy toys for children in the hospital, and yesterday was DELIVERY DAY.

 

June Bug, her mamma Kasey, and I drove to Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC.  That’s where her mom used to work as a nurse, and she knows people who work there, so we knew those people would help the special toys find the perfect kids.  We were excited!

 

We got to meet some of Kasey’s friends and June Bug gave them the donations (she even gave the special teddy bear that is super duper soft that she loved).  She explained the “rules” that she had thought up:  the “lip sticks” (chap sticks) were to be split up out of the packaging and one given to each kid.  And that the VERY SPECIAL bigger toys were for kids whose parents weren’t at the hospital with them (because they would need toys more) and for kids who had to stay for overnight or a few days.  The staff listened carefully to her instructions and I am quite sure will follow them.

 

June Bug and all of the special toys she chose to donate to sick kids

What joy and kindness June Bug brings to the world.  She asks 5,000,000 questions a day (approximately) and has a very caring heart.  She and the other kids you just read about exemplify kindness.  We could all learn a thing or two from them.

 

Do you know a kind kid who would be willing to share their story with me?  Please send me an email telling me about them – KindnessActivist@gmail.com . 

 

Because the world needs more kindness.  And more stories of kindness.  We can make it a kinder place – just one small act of kindness at a time.

Bonus photo of Ixel doing ANOTHER kind thing - taking big jugs of cooking oil that were donated to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and pouring them into smaller jars.  That way more families get oil.  She is great at this job, too, and enjoys doing it.

P.S. - No June Bug, I don't know how that crane "got on top of that tall building".

P.P.S. - No June Bug, I am not sure why that person was mean.

P.P.P.S - Well June Bug, I think that is the Potomac River we are crossing.

P.P.P.P.S. - and on and on and on :) . 

Toy Sharing Kindness

Shelter Room (Apartment) Makeover!

Last weekend I volunteered for a project with “My Girlfriend’s House”.  They were doing one day makeovers in all of the apartment units in a shelter in Washington DC.  When I heard about it I wanted to be involved so that I could see all of that KINDNESS go down!  But the ironic part was, the kindest bit of all didn’t really have anything to do with the painting, cleaning, and hauling in and out furniture.

The kindest bit was Lauren.  She is “five and a half” (the half is important when you are her age!) and showed up with her mom Melissa in the afternoon.  When she came I was frantically working to put the children’s bedroom back together.  Another team had painted it a beautiful purple.  I had worked with a teammate to put together some donated bunk beds.  But we still needed to get a LOT done before our afternoon deadline when the family would come home for the big reveal!!  So when little Lauren showed up, I put her to work!

Lauren sweeping up the room!

I tossed her a pillow and a pretty sham and asked if she could get that pillow ready.  Well she sat her tiny self down and did it.  So I gave her another one…  She and I became teammates, knockin’ things out and gettin’ that kids’ room READY! 

We took a big pile of donated shoes and paired them up to display in an under-bed roller cart.  We helped fold donated clothes and put them in a dresser.  We cleaned. And we did what I know was Lauren’s favorite part – put wall stickers up!  Oh we had flowers and hearts and swirls – it was a little girl’s dream.

These walls could use some PRETTY STICKERS!!

And then it was time for the TOYS…  There were lots of toys that people had donated for the 3 little girls who live in the apartment.  There were books, crayons, bracelets, etc.  But I didn’t realize until we were unpacking them and finding fun places to display them that Lauren herself had donated some of the toys!!  Yes siree, she was kind enough to give those girls she had never met some of HER toys!  And it was all going really well, she was admiring the toys as we unpacked them but not upset about giving them away, until we came to a pretty puzzle that must have been a favorite…  But she was a trooper, one quick little talk with Mom and she was ok giving them her prized puzzle!  J

But it was that quick little breakdown that touched me.  Seeing her eyes fill with concern and sadness – sure, she had agreed to share her toys, but did she have to share THAT ONE???  That’s what made me realize what a sacrifice it was for her, and how amazingly kind it was.  I mean, lots of kids probably go through their toy boxes and pick a few things out to donate to the Salvation Army (knowing that they don’t play with them anymore and that new toys are sure to replace them soon…).  But Lauren was going a step further – she had chosen what to give, then was smack dab in the middle of the actual GIVING!  She was organizing her own toys in some other girls’ room for THEM to play with!  And THAT, my friends, that is kind!!

What a kind little kid

I didn’t have time to talk about her generosity while we were there (we were busy finishing the room!) but have since talked with her and her mom to learn a bit more about the whole thing.  Here is what they told me:

Melissa said that they teach Lauren to always be kind, no matter what, and always treat everyone the same. The family donates a lot to charities and volunteers whenever they can.  Melissa told me, “Last year, Lauren saw a piece of mail from UNICEF or something like that with a picture of a malnourished child on the envelope. She said she wanted to help sick kids. So she did a lemonade stand to raise money for a charity. She raised $44 for a foundation called Stillbrave who helps families with children with cancer.”   Isn’t that awesome??  She saw a photo and TOOK ACTION and helped out the best way she could!  I asked Lauren about the lemonade stand and why she did it.  She told me it was for “sick kids” J and that she is going to have ANOTHER lemonade stand!  She stressed that there will also be cookies.  J  And as we talked she came up with an awesome new idea to raise money for sick kids – a HOT CHOCOLATE STAND in cold weather!!  You go, girl!!

Melissa said that she explained to Lauren about the shelter makeover by saying that their friend, Miss Becky, knew a family that needs help - a nice home and some new things/toys. It was, “A little follow by example I guess J” Melissa told me. 

We were almost done with the room here!

I asked Lauren how she felt giving the toys to the other girls and she said, “”Happy”.  She is a girl of few words, that Lauren.  Her mom said it was not too hard to convince her to donate toys, “I told her that she has many toys, and there are some that she doesn't play with that would be nice to give some to a child that doesn't have many nice toys.”  Lauren said some of the toys she gave were things she got as a baby.  I asked her which toys she thought the girls would like best and she didn’t hesitate, “THE DOLLS!”.  She had given them these super pretty magnetic doll sets.  I could tell by the way she handled them as we were looking for a new home for them that she really treasured those. 

Lauren and her mom were still there for the big reveal, and Lauren got to meet the mom who lives in the apartment and ask her about the kids.  Melissa thinks that Lauren actually SEEING where her donations will be used helped, and I agree.  The whole experience was more “real” I bet because she unpacked those toys and got them ready for the kids. 

Way to raise a Kindness Activist, Melissa.  It was an honor to pair up and put away tiny shoes with your daughter. 

Do you know a kind kid or adult??  Please tell me about them!  The world needs more kindness, and by talking about kind actions, we can inspire others!!  Email me at kindnessactivist@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter - @kindactivist

·         For more information about Stillbrave, the organization that Lauren supported with her lemonade stand money, see this website Stillbrave (And hey, now that I look at that website, I see it is someone I recognize, Tattoo Tom!!  He worked with Gabriella Miller, whose family started Smashing Walnuts!)

·         For more information about My Girlfriend’s House, the organization that ran the shelter apartment makeovers, see this website My Girlfriend's House