It seems this is something we have to repeat, often. I’m guessing (hoping!) its similar in other homes and our kids aren’t the only ones who need reminders to treat each other more kindly. So, every so often, we need to have an FHE on kindness. In order for it to not just go in one ear and out the other, I also like to combine the lesson with something concrete that they can do over the next week to let it sink in a bit. (In order to do the activity, you’ll need some fuzzy balls/crafting pom poms and a jar — you decide how many of each.)
For this super simple and short lesson, I pulled up the Gospel Library App and typed Kindness Begins with Me into the search bar. Some of our kids had heard this primary song but none of them really knew it. So, we repeated the words a few times and learned the melody. Underneath the song lyrics, it lists 3 scriptures (Luke 6:31, Luke 10-30-37, Ephesians 4:32), so we looked up and read those scriptures and let the kids explain to us what they meant. Then we talked about the need to be kind and especially in our home.
I gave the kids a challenge to be extra kind to each other over the next week. Every time that someone did something kind, the person who was on the receiving end of the kindness could put a fuzzy ball in our jar. If you keep the jar on the kitchen table or somewhere that it will be frequently seen, the jar alone stands as a great reminder. Some kids will really get into this and others might not as much, but let me tell you, I had kids doing chores for each other and helping each other whenever they could find an opportunity. Whenever I use a jar and fuzzy balls (you can use this same idea for lots of different lessons), people ask what the kids “get” or “earn” when the jar gets filled. In our house, we don’t do a reward . . . and even without a reward for filling up the jar, they still get joy from seeing it filled up! That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t do a reward. What you’ll have to do is use the Spirit to determine what will be best for your family. But if you’re worried that they kids won’t do it without a reward, maybe give it a try. It works for us!
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