Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day and I think we can all agree that the world could benefit from a bit more kindness in general these days. When I started thinking about the topic, I realized that many of the traditional random acts of kindness that I’ve heard about or used in the past aren’t exactly “COVID-friendly.” So I compiled a list of random acts of kindness that are COVID-friendly but still really thoughtful and kind. All of them are fun to do solo or with your family and are guaranteed to help you spread kindness to those around you.
Kindness in the time of Coronavirus
1. Schedule a FaceTime or Zoom session with a friend you haven’t connected with in ages:: Think about how amazing it is to receive a text or a note from an old friend out of the blue that says, “Hey, I was thinking about you and would love to catch up on a Zoom.” Folks are lonely these days and the isolation can be overwhelming at times. Put together a list and start working your way through the list this year.
2. Gift a digital movie:: If you know that a fellow parent friend of yours is going through a particularly stressful time or suddenly finds themselves at home with kids who are learning virtually, gift the family a digital movie. Ignore the screen time component to this and help support that friend with giving them the gift of time while their kid(s) are hopefully glued to a new movie they got to pick out online. Here’s a useful article on how to do it across various digital platforms. You can also do this with books, games and music too.
3. Compliment a child on their COVID practices:: Have you ever seen a young child wearing a mask properly and not constantly tugging at it or a child that automatically washes his/her hands after touching something? It’s a pretty rare sight. If you spot a youngster doing all of the right things to #SlowTheSpread, thank them for their kindness and give them credit where credit is due. Sometimes a word of praise from a stranger is all they need for a true habit to form.
4. Give a completely unexpected tip to an essential worker:: Throw a $20 bill at the H-E-B partner sanitizing the grocery carts at your local H-E-B. Or to the person at your neighborhood bar and grill that brings your curbside dinner order to your car. Or you could even surprise your local FedEx or UPS guy/gal with a cash tip and tell them to grab a well earned lunch on you for the day. Whoever you decide to tip, just make sure it’s completely unexpected and that you take a moment to not only say thank you, but to thank them for what they are doing for ALL of us during this pandemic.
5. Send a praise or thank you email to someone and Cc his/her boss:: There is nothing better than receiving praise and knowing the boss is aware of how awesome you are – right? If you are employed, send a quick thank you note to a coworker at your company and Cc his/her boss letting them know why you appreciate that person. You can even do this with your child’s teacher and Cc the Assistant Principal or Principal. Regardless of who you choose, you can’t go wrong with this approach.
6. Bring an Uber Eats or Door Dash gift card to your next medical appointment:: Healthcare workers in all specialties are the real heroes of COVID. They’ve faced challenges none of us could have imagined a year ago, yet they’re still here for us day in and day out. How great would it be for them to have a completely unexpected lunch paid for as a token of appreciation for their hard work and bravery? Whether it’s a visit to your child’s pediatrics office or to your family physician, be sure to tell them thank you for what they’re doing for ALL of us.
7. Smile and wave at a child:: I think there’s one thing that we can all agree on and that is that our kids have been TROOPERS over the past year while the world has been in chaos. And we know that it hasn’t always been easy for them. Stressed out adults likely rush around them all day and it’s incredibly easy {often necessary} to assume our kids are fine or handling things well when sometimes they’re…NOT. A random wave and a smile {even if masked} can do wonders for a kid, y’all. Seriously. Smiles really are contagious so if you see a kid looking bored in the backseat of a car in traffic, make eye contact with them and smile and wave. Same if you see a kid following his/her parent around the grocery store after a long day. Smile and wave {even if he/she can’t see your smile, chances are he/she can still see the twinkle in your eye}. It’s so simple, yet so effective.
8. Take some homemade cards or artwork from your kids to your elderly neighbor:: Many of our elderly have been unable to see their grandkids for months on end due to COVID and it’s been really hard on them. Dropping off some handmade cards or artwork from your kids on your elderly neighbor’s front porch is a great pick me up and smile inducing thing you can do. Also, temporarily solves every parent’s dilemma of what to do with all of the pieces of artwork that come home daily from school! Help your kids to repurpose their art and learn how art is meant to be shared and enjoyed with others.
9. Leave sidewalk chalk at your local park:: Packs of sidewalk chalk are very inexpensive and always a hit with kids of all ages. Grab a few packs the next time you shop and be sure to leave one or two behind the next time you visit the park. Pro-tip:: Be sure to grab a set for your kids as well otherwise leaving those packs behind could be a bit tricky – haha!
10. Give away free stuff:: The next time you’re selling something on your neighborhood’s Facebook page {or the like}, consider whether you really need that $5 for the pack of puzzles your kids have outgrown or if it makes sense to give it away to someone else. You can either post your item and list it as free or better yet set a low price and then surprise the unsuspecting buyer by telling them they can have your item for free when they arrive for pickup. Either way, you’re helping to spread joy to others which feels awesome.
Hopefully one of these ideas will resonate with you or motivate you and your family to come up with your own random acts of kindness in the age of COVID. You truly can’t go wrong {well…I guess technically you could, but try to not do that!} when trying to spread kindness to others so try to not fixate on having the perfect idea. What matters most is that you show another person that you care and there is still kindness is this crazy upside down world right now. Happy kindness spreading!
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