A Random Act of Kindness is giving your best self to others without requests or promises of return on investment. It’s simply doing something nice for someone else, without them asking and without you doing it for anything in return.

Each year on February 17th, National Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated by individuals, groups, and organizations, nationwide, to encourage acts of kindness.

It is not as easy to teach kindness as you would a mathematical concept or literacy lesson. There are no step-by-step guides on how to teach kindness, and the most effective way of teaching kindness to kids is to emulate and reinforce it over and over again until kindness becomes the norm and they can choose kindness for themselves, without being led or prompted.

As parents, we need to make showing kindness a priority. Our children should see us showing kindness daily to everyone we encounter. Not only to those we love and spend a lot of time with but also to others who may be less fortunate or those who provide services for us: the mail carrier, custodians, bus drivers, food servers, and others.

• Kindness Builds Stronger Connections: simple acts of kindness, like expressing gratitude or helping with daily tasks, strengthen family bonds and nurture positive relationships.
• Kindness Improves Mental and Physical Well-Being: engaging in acts of kindness has been scientifically proven to enhance both mental and physical health. Performing kind deeds releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, which help reduce stress and increase happiness.
• Kindness Creates a Ripple Effect : witnessing or experiencing kindness inspires others to pay it forward, creating a chain of positivity that spreads far beyond the initial act. This ripple effect has the power to influence entire communities and even spark systemic change.
• Kindness Breaks Down Barriers: kindness transcends differences in culture, background, and beliefs. By making kindness the norm, we create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and respected. Kindness bridges gaps, fosters understanding, and helps us see each other as humans first.

Kindness isn’t passive—it’s a choice that leads to tangible change. When it’s normalized, we’re more likely to create a better world together.

Here are some activities to teach kids about kindness:

• Read about Kindness
• Choose a specific volunteering activity
• Give a toy away and teach the joy of donating
• Make kindness cards for family and friends
  
• Help someone in need
• Pick wildflowers for someone
• Share a funny story

• Give someone a compliment

• Bake a treat for a friend

• Leave a note of appreciation for the mail carrier, librarian, teacher, etc
  

United Acts of Kindness is a day for our community to come together to spread joy, hope, and love to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Join First United Bank for the fifth anniversary of "United Acts of Kindness Day!"

Click here https://image.em.firstunitedbank.com/lib/fe3f11717164047f751771/m/1/3e27fd3f-8402-4913-a773-f44b48f0773c.pdf

safeschools@durantisd.org 580-924-1276

The mission of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program is to help ensure that children are mentally and physically ready to learn and have healthy and supportive families, and to promote a safe community by equipping individuals with skills, knowledge, standards, and resources to live healthy lives.