On July 18, the world recognized Nelson Mandela by giving up 67 minutes of their day to help others. His values and dedication to the service of humanity in the fields of conflict resolution, race relations, the promotion and protection of human rights, reconciliation, gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups is truly an inspirational message.
Why 67 minutes? To commemorate the 67 years Nelson Mandela gave to the fight for human rights. When you put it like that, 67 minutes just doesn’t seem like that much. Multiply it by thousands of people (hopefully many more) around the world and that can add up to fantastic amount of work done to help others.
However, in order to teach our children that kindness can be an everyday event we want to take this moment to celebrate another tradition that can happen daily. “Random Acts of Kindness”. Taking one day at a time with our children and help promote this continuing act of generosity by helping others in so many ways. Here are a few that you can do with your children.
- Share stories with your child about people who help others. When you explain to your child about the ways people help others, or share specific stories of such events in your community, your child can learn examples of how people care for one another.
- Teach your child how to help friends & neighbors in times of need. Encourage your child to perform household duties to help family members get their jobs done. Teach your children the value of including new people into games while at the park or in neighborhood games. It’s often difficult for some children to ask if they can be included, help your children to make the first step.
- Perform volunteer activities with your child. There may be a number of activities in your community that together, you can become involved in and help your child see the value of aiding others. Afterwards you can discuss how good it made you both feel to make a difference, especially for those who may have just needed a little help.
As a family you can make a difference in the lives of others. Your children will share in your values of reaching out to people in need. They can pass those values and traditions on to their own children.
