We are past Thanksgiving, so in my house, that means we can officially start celebrating Christmas! Turn up the holiday tunes, cut down the Christmas tree, put up the twinkling lights and get cozy. This week is also the beginning of December, and the real countdown begins. Do you and your family count down to Christmas? We have tried several ways to countdown the Christmas season. A chocolate or toy-filled calendar can be fun, even nostalgic, but my personal favorite is a kindness countdown. If you already have an advent calendar, a kindness calendar can be easy to personalize each year. I am a big fan of keeping things simple. We print off a blank calendar and fill it out, and put it on our refrigerator- easy at that!
I have done this in years past, and I’ll admit, I ended up overwhelmed in trying to accomplish what I wrote down each day. Take advice from my personal experience, give yourself grace and choose simple random acts of kindness that don’t always need a lot of effort each day. Then sprinkle in some more time-consuming acts on the weekends or days you know you will have the time. This year I also incorporated some fun things to do together as a family to enjoy the season together. Do you have traditions that you always do in December? Incorporate them into the calendar! Are the kids bringing home a new craft every day? Mail it to a faraway friend or family member and brighten their day! This isn’t meant to add more to your plate in December, but instead to shift our mindset around our actions. Let’s teach our children the importance of giving (and not always receiving). By adding some fun family activities to our calendar, it also focuses on spending time together with those we love most.
Check out the list below for some ideas of what to add to your calendar. Ask your family what they would add!
- wish a stranger happy holidays
- go ice skating!
- smile at someone to brighten his or her day
- pick out 5 books to donate to your local library
- eat dinner as a family
- snuggle & watch a favorite holiday movie as a family
- make a basket of treats to leave out for the mail carriers
- give daddy extra hugs today
- snuggle up with hot cocoa (don’t forget the extra marshmallows)!
- donate to toys for tots
- share out loud one way that you helped someone today
- facetime or call a far-away relative
- make paper snowflakes
- snuggle and read a holiday book together
- share out loud 3 things you are thankful for
- make holiday cards for your teachers
- fill a donation box as a family
- help mom with dinner
- write someone a note of love (or draw them a picture!)
- enjoy a family walk or hike together
- deliver holiday cards to neighbors
- pay for someone else’s coffee
- share why you love someone in your family
- do someone else’s daily chore in the family
- turn up the holiday music and have a dance party
- write a letter to Santa (even if you are a grownup!)
- have a family game night!
- wear holiday pjs
- donate to a local food shelf
Ann is an entrepreneur working in the Twin Cities parenting world for over a decade. She is a St. Paul girl at heart, born & raised. Together with her husband Brian they raise their energetic boys, Ethan & Declan while also wrangling their dogs Tucker & Greta. You can connect with Ann on Instagram @simplyme_ann
