What’s inside: The surprisingly powerful way to boost kids self-esteem. Proudly sponsored by The Good Cards.
A couple weeks ago my daughter took a test in Sunday School. It was similar to a personality test, grouping kids into kids one of three categories: encouragers, helpers, or servers. My daughter explained that based on her answers, she is a “server.”
Normally I’m not a huge fan of labels, but this experience had a profoundly positive effect on my daughter.
Later that day my daughter asked if she could do the dishes. At eight years old, I still have to set her first with a stool, soapy water and clear workspace, so it is still a bit of a chore for me too. However my daughter sounded so excited that any extra effort on my part was worth it.
It took my daughter about an hour to wash a small load of plates, cups, and silverware, but by the end she was beaming.
“I served you mom!” she said proudly.
It wasn’t about the dishes — but by serving, my daughter felt like a contributing member of the family. She felt special, needed, and she was walking on air the rest of the day.
The unexpected way to boost kids self esteem
It might sound counterintuitive, because the focus is on other people, versus your own child. However, encouraging your kids to help others is actually an instant way to boost their own self esteem. Why?
- Participating in household tasks provides children with opportunities to demonstrate their abilities and feel that they are an important member of the family. Source
- Helping better other people’s lives shows children that they are valuable in society and that their actions have a direct impact on the world. Source
Knowing that they are capable of improving their own home, their community, and the world at large is a powerful feeling for kids.
Give your kids opportunities to spread kindness with The Good Cards
A just-launched game called The Good Cards makes it easy and fun for kids to spread kindness. Look at how excited kids are about the launch of mobile games like Pokemon Go. Now imagine that excitement channeled into doing good deeds for others!
The premise behind The Good Cards is simple: make doing good deeds exciting. These are a series of 12 cards, each with different kindness missions. However you don’t collect these cards — they’re not yours to keep. Here’s how it works:
How to play
You can acquire Good Cards in two ways:
- Receive one from another person (which would be super cool!)
- Request a pack to start your own kindness chain!
Next, download The Good Card mobile app on your smartphone. The app allows you to scan the QR code on your card and you’ll be given a challenge aimed at making the world a better place.
After completing your random act of kindness, pass along the card to the recipient of your good deed, giving them a kindness challenge too. Now it’s their turn to continue the game and continue to spread good deeds!
The coolest part about The Good Cards is that you can track your card (through the app and online) to see just how many lives have been touched thanks to your participation. We can’t wait to watch our card travel around the world, seeing how many people have continued the chain of kindness we started!
CLICK HERE to start your own kindness chain with your family!
More positive parenting on The Soccer Mom Blog:
How to End Conflict with Your Tween
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