Challenge Week 2

I hope everyone is having a good time with this weeks challenge.  You still have a couple of days to finish them off.  If you didn't get a chance to do them- that's okay!  Just stick the idea in your pocket and do them when it's good for you. 

Week 2 starts on Sunday (so it will go from Oct 24-Oct 31)  I want to give you a couple of days to gather your thoughts and any supplies you might need.

Act 1

Start a prayer journal with your child.  What a wonderful way to bless others by praying for them!

I just got 2 spiral notebooks (less than $1 each) and labeled the outside.

Then I explained to my boys that each day we are going to journal some of our prayers.  This doesn't have to be something you do every single day but maybe shoot to do it a few times a week.  This can be a quick sentence or two.  With homework and all the busy activities we all have during the week, just keep this one simple. 

Here are some memory joggers for those days when your child can't think of what to write.  I just printed it and taped it to the back of the front cover and it's there for them if they need it. 

If your child can hold a crayon and talk to you then they can do this!  My 4 year old can't write yet but he can tell me and draw about things.  He started writing "sh" and "sp" and was able to explain to me that these were the sounds he learned in speech class that day.  He wanted me to draw a little building for him to color and then I wrote out "I am thankful for my speech school."  It was exactly what he was thinking but he just needed a little help getting it on paper.  So, please don't shy away from this one just because you don't have school-aged kids.  Even preschoolers can do it!

Act 2

Pay for someones drink or food order.

I know that we all come from various financial situations so please do this one however your budget will allow. You don't have to spend a ton of money to make a big impression.  This could be something simple like paying for the person behind you at Starbucks.  You can take it further and pay for an entire meal at a restaurant if you can afford that.  Either way, try to do this with your children present. 

I'm learning that one of the biggest components of these challenges are the conversations I have with my kids.  I am taking the time to really explain to the boys what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.  Last week I found myself trying to find little acts of kindness to model for them.  Something very simple happened last week while driving.  We were in a big hurry to get to the bank.  Traffic was horrible and I was pressed for time.  I noticed a truck with it's blinker on that was trying to get over into my lane.  No one was letting him in.  It would have been real easy for me to just drive but I stopped and waved him over.  At that moment, I told the boys what was happening and that everyone was too busy to just let him in.  I told them that it would have been easy for me to justify not helping him since we were in a hurry but that it was a small act of kindness that didn't cost me anything and took just a few seconds.  So, my point is:  make sure you point out ways you constantly help others.  While these might seem obvious to us, sometimes our kids don't always notice them.