Take Valentine's Day to Heart

There is a movement to switch the focus in February from Valentine's Day to "Generosity Day." It is an excellent way to keep it from becoming too commercial, focusing on candy, gifts, and cards. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or friend, you can bring kindness to the forefront. "Doing Good Together" is an online resource for raising children and adults who care and contribute.

They have a February 28 Day Kindness Challenge with suggestions for families to do something for others each day. There are also ideas of things to do for your neighbors, assemble and distribute care kits for the homeless, and commit random acts of kindness by making valentines for your mail delivery, secretary at work or school. Another great suggestion is to have a Valentine Making Party and give them to those that you know are elderly or sick, drop them off at a nursing home or mail them Soldiers' Angels to be distributed to veterans.

All of these ideas and more are located here along with suggestions and details:
www.doinggoodtogether.org/dgt-newsletter/take-valentines-day-to-heart

To get started, have a "heart-to-heart" with your kids about the importance of kindness and spreading love. Then brainstorm how to bring a new "giving" focus to Valentine's Day.

• How can we make this Valentine's Day a real celebration of love and kindness? Is there any idea we can make an annual tradition?
• Some kids in your school might feel anxious on Valentine's Day. Maybe they will worry that they won't get as many Valentines as other kids. What could you do to make such a child feel better?
• How can we spread kindness among the people we know? What about people we don't know who could use some cheer?

 "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."– Dalai Lama XIV 

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