Mom Happiness Makeover Day 7: Get Happier About The World
Happy Mother's Day! We hope it's a great one! But first...
We all wish the world were a perfect place for our children, but the reality is, it's far from it. What better day than Mother's Day to start doing more to make the world a better place for everyone?
Here are the basics:
Charity: Giving, whether it’s money, time, or lending a helping hand, is a gift for those you’re helping, and for yourself. And teaching your kids charity is as easy as signing up for, or starting, a canned food drive at their school, volunteering together at a soup kitchen, shoveling your neighbor's walk when it snows, making a donation at Church (and encouraging your kids to donate a little something from their own piggy banks), etc.
Whatever it is you do to help others, setting an example of generosity and kindness for your kids is a gift that'll keep on giving.
Empathy: Next time you start to judge someone, imagine yourself in their shoes. We all struggle at one point or another, so let's remember not to kick someone else when they're down or be so quick to judge.
Respect: For yourself -- and for everyone around you. No exceptions.
Tolerance: We all expect to be accepted -- warts and all -- right? Doesn't that mean we should accept all others, too? I think so.
Kindness: Don't forget that golden rule... "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (That darn rule just keeps coming up, doesn't it?!) Smile. Pay compliments when you genuinely mean them. Be polite even when the person you're speaking with could not be any ruder. Kindness really is contagious!
No judgement: This one is especially important for moms. Moms seem to pick on and judge each other A LOT. Stop the madness! At the end of the day, we're all just trying to raise our kids to be happy relatively-well adjusted adults, right? Who are we to judge someone else?
Check out the activity links from January's Family Values Challenge for more ideas on instilling good values in your kids.
A lot of moms also mentioned specifically that they'd like to see world peace. That's a tough job, but hey, worth talking about! Let's all try to remember that spreading a message of peace starts at home.
Do you volunteer with your kids, or otherwise help or talk about helping others in need? Which of the above tips is the most important to you and/or hardest for you to do?
Tell us in the replies -- then go celebrate at our Mother's Day party! You could win! Go now! >>
If you missed yesterday's tips, click here. To sign up for The Mom Happiness Makeover, click here.
*This challenge is sponsored by CafeMom and is not associated with Dr. Aymee Coget of happinessmakeover.com.
You "hit the nail on the head!" After raising 4 children into adulthood, each of these values is important, very important in making the world a better place. I hope the new generations of mothers incorporate all of these basic values in their lives. They are essential for making a happier world.
My kids and I visit a nursing home on the holidays.We make homemade ornaments and bring goodies.We also help a homeless man and his dog.My children know that helping others is something you just do.I am having a garage sale to raise money for alzheimers and they are helping me
My son and I regularly donate to the local chapter of the Salvation Army. There aren't a lot of things to do in our area for volunteering.
Kindness is the most important of the above, to me. If you simply try to be kind the rest of the list comes into being on it's own. Today's society seems to be missing kindness, or to mistake it for weakness. If you see somebody doing something you think is awful, is it kind to give them your unsolicited opinion? No. If you think somebody is being an ass, is it kind to tell them so? No. If you think somebody else's religion is absurd, is it kind to point that out to them? No. If you think somebody is being selfish, is it kind to chastize them for it? No. The only people you have a right to try to shape, mold, and form based on your view of life is your own children, and then good luck after the first dozen years or so. Before you "share" or decide to "be honest" ask yourself if it's the kind thing to do. If the answer is NO, then maybe, just maybe, keep your thoughts to yourself, no dirty looks, nothing.
No Judgement- this comes with the kindness, tolerance, respect. My children tend to fall into the "judgmental" situation b/c of friends, but they do show compassion, and understanding as well. They don't need any work with anything besides Judgement, but even then it's very rare for them to do so. When they get older they will judge more so instill all :) raise happy healthy loving children
You're a good mom!
- Cafe Kristin
on May. 13, 2012 at 2:08 AM