I had been feeling a little overwhelmed by the idea of creating another Advent Calendar of Good Deeds but after putting some thought into it, realized I could still pull it off but maybe just a little differently this year (read about it here). I shared every day's deed on Instagram but didn't talk about it all that much.
What worked? What didn't? What were the biggest hits?
1. The including "family fun time" days was a great new addition. It took the pressure off of me to make sure we had time or supplies for a good deed that day and ensured that during a super-busy month we spent time together.
2. Including traditions we did anyway (Make a hand print tree and a card holder for example) also worked. Sort of felt like a cop-out, they're not really good deeds after all, but once again they encouraged family togetherness and really helped place value on these traditions that we've created for ourselves.
3. Something we've been doing for years is wrapping presents at a local residential hospital for adults with neurological disabilities. I never expected my children to love this as much as they do. I'm not sure if it's the access to all the tape and ribbon they want or the snack they get at the end but I'm going to pretend it's the satisfaction of knowing they did a good deed.
4. Make a holiday craft or recipe from another culture or country: we didn't really do this one. I got some books from the library but that was the extent of what I had time for. Next year I either need to scrap this one or prepare better.
5. The ones that required no work from Mommy (compliment a friend, help a teacher, etc) might be my favorites and not just because they're easiest for me. I love these ones because they remind my kids that every single day they have a chance to do something nice for someone else. Every day isn't always going to be a "Color A Smile" day but it can always be a "Do or say something nice to someone who hasn't always been nice to you" day.
What worked? What didn't? What were the biggest hits?
1. The including "family fun time" days was a great new addition. It took the pressure off of me to make sure we had time or supplies for a good deed that day and ensured that during a super-busy month we spent time together.
2. Including traditions we did anyway (Make a hand print tree and a card holder for example) also worked. Sort of felt like a cop-out, they're not really good deeds after all, but once again they encouraged family togetherness and really helped place value on these traditions that we've created for ourselves.
3. Something we've been doing for years is wrapping presents at a local residential hospital for adults with neurological disabilities. I never expected my children to love this as much as they do. I'm not sure if it's the access to all the tape and ribbon they want or the snack they get at the end but I'm going to pretend it's the satisfaction of knowing they did a good deed.
4. Make a holiday craft or recipe from another culture or country: we didn't really do this one. I got some books from the library but that was the extent of what I had time for. Next year I either need to scrap this one or prepare better.
5. The ones that required no work from Mommy (compliment a friend, help a teacher, etc) might be my favorites and not just because they're easiest for me. I love these ones because they remind my kids that every single day they have a chance to do something nice for someone else. Every day isn't always going to be a "Color A Smile" day but it can always be a "Do or say something nice to someone who hasn't always been nice to you" day.
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