1 Mother 2 Another

So I read about this project a mom came up
with for her kids – the “Good Deeds Jar” –
where the kids worked at a list of good deeds to show Santa how
great they are. You know I love a project that keeps my girls
focused on the real meaning of Christmas, so I played around with
the original idea and have come up with the Kindness Jar.

Yesterday, the girls decorated two jelly
jars with Christmas stickers. In each jar there are twenty-four
pieces of paper, each with a kind deed written on it. Starting on
Wednesday, December 1, the girls will draw one good deed from their
respective jar each day and work to accomplish it. When
they’ve done their kind act, they get to put it in an empty
shoe box that’s been gift-wrapped with a slot cut into the
top of it, and a quote from scripture on it: “Truly I tell
you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)


Since the girls are young, I’ve had to keep the kind acts
fairly simple, so there are things like “Let your sister
choose the video to watch” or “hold the door for
someone” in there. I am hoping I’ve chosen actions easy
enough not to be overwhelming while meaningful enough to be
challenging and provide a sense of accomplishment upon completion.


By Christmas eve, Maddie and Cora will have put forty-eight pieces
of paper in the box – and done forty-eight deliberate acts of
kindness throughout the month. That night, I’ll have them put
the box under the tree as their gift to Christ. It reminds me, of
all things, of the Willy Wonka quote: “So shines a good deed
in a weary world.”


Cheesy? Maybe. But this makes me happy, and I’m hoping it
works for the girls too. They’ve been driven crazy by the
jars, having been asked to decorate them without knowing
what’s inside. Hopefully this practicing kindness all month
will work its way into their daily habits, and on Christmas eve
I’m guessing they’ll rightfully feel proud of what
they’ve done as they put that gift under the tree.


I’ll let you know how it goes!