Kindness Bingo

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

Tabitha had three boys under the age of eight. She loved her sons but like many parents, she was exasperated by their continual bickering. “I tried everything to get them to stop but nothing seemed to work.”

Until the day she had an idea. Why not turn being kind into a game? “My boys love video games and I thought if I could turn being kind to each other and the people around them into a game format, I might get through.”

So, Tabitha looked on Pinterest and found plenty of ideas that she could add to the kindness bingo sheets she was creating. Some of the ideas she used included:

·         Play with someone new during recess

·         Share a toy with my brother

·         Give a nice compliment to someone

·         Do a chore for my brother

·         Draw or color a picture for someone

·         Hug a family member

·         Help my brother with his homework

“I encourage each of my kids to do four acts of kindness each day so they can claim bingo,” says Tabitha, “It’s not perfect but the boys are becoming more thoughtful and aware of how their actions affect other people.”

You don’t have to be a kid to play kindness bingo. You can do it yourself by regularly looking for opportunities to show kindness toward others.

God, help me to set an example of kindness in my own home. I want to encourage and support my loved ones. In Jesus’ name, Amen.