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Countdown calendars are fun and add a spark of joy to each holiday. Our countdown to Valentine’s Day is one of my favorites because it’s all about spreading love and kindness. From February 1st until February 14th, we commit at least one simple act of kindness each day. Read on if you’re interested in trying this with your kid(s).
Why I Invest Time in This Lunacy
We need to develop empathy in my house. A lot of the activities I include in our calendar focus on the well-being of others, so when we do these activities I make sure to ask Liv things like, “How would you feel if somebody did this for you?”
My daughter is a resistant reader, so I try to regularly incorporate pleasant reading opportunities. Because we keep the hearts on display and Liv can choose which activity we do each day, she has incentive to read them.
Several of my activities focus on bonding (with family members and friends, with each other, with the dog, etc.). In our busy lives, it’s easy to get caught up in our to-do lists, so it’s a priority for us to carve out time to connect.
Suggested Activities
Write a note to a friend telling him/her why s/he is awesome. Sign it or don’t.
Write a note to a teacher telling him/her why s/he is awesome.
Leave a note of kindness on a stranger’s windshield in a parking lot. (Consider what you’d like to read as you hop back into your car. Maybe try something like, “You can do this.” or “You are enough.” or “Life is tough, but so are you.”)
Call a relative or friend you haven’t talked to in a while to tell them you miss them.
Give Mom or Dad a back massage. (You like how I sneak in self-serving things like this?)
Donate nonperishable items to a food pantry.
Donate old towels and/or blankets to an animal shelter.
Help your parents clean the house.
Send a message to a favorite YouTuber to tell them you’re a big fan.
Make Valentines for your classmates.
Prepare your sibling’s favorite snack as a surprise. Perhaps arrange said snack into fanciful designs.
Play a game your sibling wants to play.
Do something good for your own heart. Go outside and run around. (Self-care is also kindness!)
Watch a cheesy love movie in a snuggle nest. (This is another one that’s pretty selfish on my part. I adore movies in snuggle nests! The cheesier, the better.)
Pay for the car behind you in a drive-thru restaurant. (It’s a good idea to ask how much they’ve spent first. I mean, we can spread kindness without being completely irresponsible.)
Take a bubble bath with candles and a champagne flute of sparkling juice. (This is one of Liv’s faves.)
Spend time petting, brushing, training or walking your dog.
If you’re in a position to donate money, donate to a worthy cause. (If you’re not in a position to donate money, don’t.)
If you’re interested in growing your own veggies this year, you might start planning your bed(s) now. (Salanova lettuce and turnip seeds can be planted in February in zone 7!)
Help make dinner for your family. (Might I recommend a heart-shaped meatloaf for Valentine’s Day dinner? It’s a tradition my mom started that I’ve had fun continuing.)
How to Make this Work for You
Don’t plan things that feel hard because you won’t want to do them. Plan simple activities that are within reach and will make your kid(s) feel good.
Post all of the hearts somewhere that your kid(s) can easily see them. (I posted mine above the windows in our breakfast nook so they’re out of the way but still easy to see and read. Bonus: you just decorated for the holiday.)
Although this is a countdown to February 14th in our house, you might want to post more than 14 options in order to offer choice.
If this feels like just one more thing that you should do but don’t have time to do, don’t do it at all! There’s not one right way to do parenting.