No matter where we stand on political issues, we parents can probably all agree that raising kids who are kind to others is a high priority. Unfortunately, as we describe here, kindness has not been a major focus for many across the country as of late. But you and your kids can be a part of turning the tide!

Birmingham Mommy has partnered with the Pay It Forward Foundation to bring you The 25 Days of Kindness, which begins today and goes through the 25th, Christmas Day.

The Pay It Forward Foundation is a non-profit that partners with teachers in schools from coast to coast, providing copies of the Pay It Forward Young Readers Edition as a resource for teaching the pay it forward philosophy of “Kindness to Strangers.” In the past 2 years, the foundation has provided more than 3,000 books for teachers to use with their students. Since creating a culture of kindness in their classrooms, teachers have reported improvements in student behavior and empathy among students and decreases in bullying and disruptive behavior. In December 2016 the Foundation is a partner with NBC Universal as part of their #ShareKindness campaign, inspiring one million acts of random kindness. Plans for 2017 include providing more than 1,000 more books for teachers. To learn more, you can follow Pay It Forward on Instagram or Twitter: @ThePayItForwardFoundation and on Facebook: @officialPayItForwardFoundation

Despite our best intentions, sometimes we talk to our kids about kindness but don’t actually put those words into specific actions. To help you be more proactive, we’ve put together a list of 25 acts of kindness that you and your kids can practice together over the holiday season. Not only will these acts help others and spread holiday cheer, but they’ll also teach your children empathy and compassion for others and increase gratitude for all they already have. Use this guide however works best for you – whether daily, once a week, or whenever you happen to have the time. We’ll post reminders each day in case you forget – we know it’s a busy season!

December 1st: “Adopt an angel” from a local Angel Tree and shop together for gifts for a child in need. Gifts are due by December 3rd so do this one quick! There’s an Angel Tree at Brookwood Mall with several angels yet to be adopted. Adopt online and drop off your gifts by the 3rd.

December 2nd: Challenge your child to talk to someone new or shy at school today.

December 3rd: Rake a neighbor’s leaves without telling him or her.

December 4th: Visit a local playground and, while you’re there, pick up a few pieces of trash and recycle or throw them away.

December 5th: Encourage your child to compliment her teacher unexpectedly today.

December 6th: Instead of re-selling gently used coats that no longer fit, donate them to a local shelter, ministry, or non-profit. One to consider in Birmingham is Greater Birmingham Ministries, which maintains a clothes closet for individuals in need.

December 7th: At the dinner table, have each person give a nice compliment to the person sitting on his right. Go for a couple of rounds if you can!

December 8th: Use chalk to write happy thoughts on the sidewalk in front of your house or at a local park.

December 9th: Bring a doughnut to the bus driver or crossing guard at school.

December 10th: Challenge each child to do a secret chore in your house or for a family member without being asked!

December 11th: Wave to people from the car or while on a walk in the neighborhood.

December 12th:  Send an email greeting to one of your child’s former teachers and let your child include a brief message.

December 13th: Go through your child’s toys and donate those he doesn’t play with anymore (bonus: clear out space in the play room!).

December 14th: Take coupons to the grocery store and leave them with the matching products for someone else to use.

December 15th: Bake a small treat for your child’s teacher for her to take to school the next day as a special holiday surprise!

December 16th: Write a letter or email to a grandparent or other special friend.

December 17th: Have your child save some of his allowance to pay for the order of the person behind you in the drive-thru at Starbucks or a fast food restaurant.

December 18th: Make holiday cards for kids at Children’s Hospital and take them to share.

December 19th: Have your child dress in a favorite costume before you go someplace public like the grocery store. People you pass will enjoy the surprise of Halloween in December!

December 20th: Bake a treat together to share with a family friend who has just had a baby, has been sick or in the hospital, is lonely, or who has been too busy to bake lately.

December 21st: Leave positive message sticky notes on bathroom mirrors in public places when you’re running errands.

December 22nd: Encourage your older child to play her younger sibling’s favorite game (even though the older one thinks it’s pretty babyish). For only kids, try this with a younger cousin or neighbor.

December 23rd: Paint rocks in fun, cheery colors and hide them in places where kids will find them. Check out Homewood Rocks on Facebook for ideas on getting more people doing this in your area.

December 24th: Have each family member write down three things he or she is grateful for. Put them all in a jar and have each person pull three out at random. Try to guess who was grateful for what. This is not only a fun bonding activity but a way to watch your blessings multiply.

December 25th: Make a point to thank each person for the gifts they gave and for just being present!

Share your Acts of Kindness with us on our social media using Hashtags #ShareKindness and #BhamMommy25DOK and you’ll be entered to win tickets to Zoolight Safari! (hashtags must be included on your posts to be entered.)

Kids of all ages can get in the kitchen and learn something new. In this age participation guide, CookSmart lays out multiple ways that kids can have some hands on experience while cooking with Mom or Dad. The more kids are exposed to food and cooking, the more likely they are to build a curiosity and appreciation for food and health. So while it may be easier (and faster…and less messy..) to just cook the meal yourself- let the life long health habits your kids can learn from cooking with you motivate you to let them help!!

Share your cooking knowledge (ages 4-7 years) 

Share your knowledge and include kids in the decision making process. Younger kids love it when you give them responsibility they didn’t expect!

• Introduce names of ingredients
• Describe tastes and textures while you talk about the meal
• Grow a garden
• Taste things together
• Brainstorm meal ideas

Prove their arithmetic (ages 8-12 years) 

It is never to early to teach kids about fractions!! Let kids use a scale to weigh ingredients or measuring spoons and cups for sauces. Challenge older kids by asking them to scale and adjust measurements.

• Add measured ingredients
•  Measure and weigh ingredients
• Scale and adjust measurements

Operating tools and appliances (ages 6-12 years) 

Salad spinners, immersion blenders, and food processors all have buttons kids would love to press. What kid doesn’t like to press something that makes a loud and obnoxious noise? They will be kitchen tool savvy when they get older.

• Let younger kids hold down buttons on appliances with supervision
• Let older kids operate the appliances on their own

Prepping and chopping (ages 4-8 years) 

If you are uncomfortable with kids wielding a steak knife, there is still a lot they can do with scissors and even their hands. They can graduate to a kitchen knife when you think they are ready. The sooner you start letting them help with chopping, the better cooking assistant they will be!!

• Tear greens with their hands
• Use scissors to trim beans, peas, or bell peppers
• Prep easy to chop ingredients with a kids knife (ages 4-6)
• Prep easy to chop ingredients with a kitchen knife (ages 6-8)
• Prep easy to shop ingredients with a chef’s knife (ages 12 and up)

Cooking (ages 4 and under) 

Young kids can be involved in the cooking process with safe tasks like assembling, stirring, and seasoning. As they get older, delegate a portion of prepping dinner to them as a little chore!

• Assemble pizza a casseroles
• Stirring and shaking
• Seasoning

*Tips brought to you by CookSmart

One of the biggest challenges in Mom World is bringing home a newborn baby. The only thing harder than bringing home a newborn is bringing home a newborn when you already have other kids. Everyone’s schedule is shuffled around, and the routine you have worked so hard to establish is completely ruined. No matter what you try, there are a few months there at the beginning of a newborn’s life that are just hard. They are growing really fast, and so they need to eat and eat often. You (and maybe some other members of your family) are going to be up multiple times per night taking care of the little stinker. After a few weeks, you can begin to sleep train your infant. If you stay on track with these tips and instructions, your baby could be sleeping up to 6 hours in one night as a tiny little newborn! These tips can work for toddlers as well (for those of you who still have a toddler who wakes up during the night)!

When you sleep train, you are basically teaching your child to self soothe. Children who know how to self soothe know that it’s not time to eat or time to get up every time they wake up during the night. Self soothing helps your child learn to deal with their frustrations and stress. Not stress from lack of comfort or food, but baby stresses like a dropped pacifier or not being able to go to sleep.

• Establish a routine. A bath, reading books, and even a bedtime bottle or snack are all good ideas to add to your routine. Children are comfortable with predictability and repetition. When you complete your routine, your baby/toddler will know that its time for sleep.
• Don’t respond right away. If you child does cry out during nap time or during the night- don’t run into their room like the house is on fire. Give them some time to work out whatever the problem is on their own.
• Swaddling. Swaddling is a great way to help your baby sleep longer. One piece of advice on swaddling is to leave the arms outside the swaddle. Babies number one way to comfort themselves is to suck and they will suck on their own finger, hand, or a knuckle.
• Lay your child down awake. Make sure they are sleepy, but lay them down awake so that they know that they don’t have to be with you in order to sleep. A crib or pack n play is their sleep place, not always your arms.
• Give your child/baby a lovey. A comfort item can help your baby fall asleep. The most important thing to remember is to make sure your baby is old enough to sleep with the item. If they aren’t, just let them hold it while they fall asleep and then take it away.

Raising kids is hard work, and its even harder to do it on a lack of sleep. Mom’s all have different methods for survival, and they are all right!! There isn’t just one way to adjust to a newborn. Some mothers are really against certain methods- and others are pretty open about trying anything. For example, crying it out. A lot of mothers are uncomfortable with that. I was one of them. I had tried every other method and tip I read online with my son. Eventually I became brave enough to give it a try. My son cried himself to sleep for two nights- and he has been the best sleeper ever since that day. So find what works for you and your kids- and do it! Don’t let anyone tell you its wrong. Nobody is better for your kids than you!

About Brittany:

Brittany was born and raised in Alabama. She is a Wife and Mama of two sweet babies- her son John is two years old and her daughter Annie is ten months old. She is pursuing her degree in Home and Family Studies with an emphasis on Child Development from BYU. She is looking forward to writing for Birmingham Mommy in preparation for graduation in the Fall of 2016.

I have 3 kids. Those 3 kids alone with all of their running around take up a lot of space in my house. Now add in their necessities like, clothing, shoes, back packs, school papers and projects and I’m at capacity. THEN add in holidays, like Christmas and Birthdays where loving grandparents smother them with every little thing they ask for while batting their cute little eye lashes. And when Santa brings all the things from the catalogs and wish lists, my house is busting at the seams, just begging for an additional room to be added.

This year, I’m hoping to change that. Not actually just say it, but really stick to it. Focusing more on experiences and memberships that will in the long run, bring them way more fun than a robot dog they’ll leave out for the real dog to eat before New Year’s.

Here are my ideas for any of you that resemble the above description.

Memberships and Experiences.

Our city has a lot to offer when it comes to family fun and a Membership to an area attraction is a gift that keeps on giving.

McWane Science Center –  This is a GREAT option for grand-parents buying for multiple grand-children. They can even choose to add a Grand Parent on to the Membership for bonus together-ness. McWane is great because whether it’s hot or cold, rainy, sunny, or snowing, you can use this gift. As many days in the year as you want. PLUS you get discounts on the fun events they offer through out the year and member exclusives. Did I mention parking in the deck is FREE for members? Well, it is. That’s an additional $5 saved each trip.

The Birmingham Zoo – Much like the McWane center, this is a great idea to pass off to the grandparents for a family gift for a gift for all of your kids combined. They also offer member exclusives (like free admission to Zoolight Safari)  and have just added a “Plus” Membership option that allows you Unlimited Rides for the year.

The Circus – Ringling Bros. always rolls through Birmingham in January, making it the perfect experience for your little clowns to enjoy. That show will hit the Magic City 1/19/17 – 1/22/17. This year the show is taking on a whole new vibe and we were lucky enough to preview this last week in Chicago. You’re not going to want to miss this new show that features all of the same things you loved, but with the twist of a story about good and evil and clowns and acrobats on ice. If you purchase tickets now you can save 25% when purchasing 4 or more tickets. No code required.

Are your kiddos into sports, music, or acting? Most every kid I know is involved in some type of extracurricular activity. Think about extending their season or letting them try something new.

Acting Out Academy is great for your budding performer. Whether it’s to foster a love for the art or to build up their self confidence, their classes (or summer movie camps) would be a fun way to introduce them to acting.

Adventure Course at Red Mountain Park. If your kiddo is old enough, give them the gift of Adventure with a Zip Line Tour or an adventure through Beanstalk Forest. A treetop course with 20 unique ropes course obstacles. Six lanes of rappelling and traditional rock climbing.

Mason Music Great for lessons or looking ahead to camps

Gift Cards

Yes, technically gifts cards can lead to the tiny humans going on a shopping spree picking out all the things on their own, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Think Movies, itunes for app purchases or give them a Mommy/Daughter Date for Mani and Pedis. A gift card to their favorite restaurant and a movie is a fun night out and again, bonus points for family togetherness.

Ice Cream shops, yogurt places, for the older crew, coffee shops.  Gifts cards also make great stocking stuffers.

When all else fails.. Try going the Want, Need, Wear, Read route. It keeps the Holidays simple, and doesn’t break your budget.

What ideas do you have for keeping down on all the “stuff” that accumulates during gift giving holidays?