Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

Thank you for visiting Weekend Kindness-- the blog that helps you build positive relationships! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so that you don't miss a single post from one of our great authors!

So, Saturday I sat down with my two oldest and watched 3-2-1 Penguins on Qubo (NBC).  This week’s adventure had them talking about envy– the green eyed monster, and I got to thinking. Next to selfishness, I believe that this is one of the biggest things that we have to deal with as parents when it comes to our children. He’s got it, and I want it.

(more…

Last year I had a post commenting on Fashion’s effect on men and women that had a rather amusing comment in it:

My 8 yo walked by and saw what was on my computer screen (the plunging neckline shot–thanks a lot! ;O) ) and she commented, “That’s a terribly immodest picture!” I gulped and half-laughed, “Yes, immodesty is what this article’s about.” “Good thing!” she said as she walked off!

(more…

It’s been an interesting week.  We’ve already celebrated two birthdays (my wife’s on Friday and my oldest son’s on Wednesday) and yesterday we went to my parents to open presents.  Whew!

It was funny because, over the weekend, I actually can say that for the first time I was more interested in what my kids were getting than what I would get.  I really want to see how they react to the VTech V.Smile TV Learning System.  This will be their first television gaming system which we got because it’s educational.  But “dad” still wants to see their reaction.

(more…

This past Sunday our church did something that we’ve done in the past except with a little twist. 

Every year we have what we call “The Carols of Christmas” which is basically a talent night where people sing specials, read poetry, read or recite scripture, and sing Christmas hymns.  The difference this year was that we actually “took the show on the road”– right down the road to the Presbyterian nursing home.

(more…

Five years ago today I was in the hospital next to my wife as she gave birth to our first son.  It was around this time that we looked “down through time” to try to think about where he’d be at different stages.

One of the big things on the horizon was schooling– we had thought early about what kind of schooling we’d have him in, and we were anxious for him to turn five so that we could get started teaching him the joys of reading, and all the other subjects that we liked growing up.

Well, now he’s five, and with two others smaller than him, I think that’s going to be more of a challenge than we thought!

To me, though, it’s brought reality to the things that some have said about it going too fast.  It seems that it was just a little while ago we were welcoming him into the world, and now we’re welcoming him into the world of learning (ok, you’re always learning, I know that, but you know what I mean).  Next he’ll be driving and getting married– whew!

I read a really great article by Kathleen Deveny titled Your Child Was Out of Line  which highlighted the difference between cultures as far as what was expected from children:

[O]ur ideas about community parenting shift dramatically over time. In Colonial America, children expected to be disciplined by any adult. “Kids were not raised to internalize their own family’s particular values, they were expected to share the community’s values,” says Stephanie Coontz, a professor of history and family studies at Evergreen State College. That began to change in the 1830s as class distinctions grew sharper. “Often it wasn’t so much ‘our family has different rules’ as ‘our type has different rules’,” Coontz says.

(more…

So, here’s your chance…  What did you do this weekend that was kind?

My weekend has been a blur, but there are always many opportunities to be kind– especially in the store.

The other day there was someone looking for Mootserella cheese– I showed them where the Mozzarella cheese was.

Saturday I found something to buy for my sister, but it was missing something inside the box.  I brought it to the attention of one of the employees and they were thankful that I brought it to their attention before someone else took it home and was unhappy.

And then there was taking my kids to the dollar store so they could get some new pirate action figures…

How about you?