How To Teach Your Daughters To Pay It Forward.

We live in a world full of wonder.  Every day, there are beautiful and wonderful events occurring all around us.  Some are visible that we can see happening, while others are more subtle and under the surface.  Knowing that at any given moment during the day someone is doing something kind, and paying it forward to others is a peaceful feeling.  It’s a feeling of joy, happiness, and most times a feeling that we love so much that we want to share with others.  As adults, we understand the concept of “paying it forward”.  A simple smile, a hug, a high-five or even just an “I’m thinking about you, phone call” goes a long way in helping to brighten someone’s day.  One way that we can pay it forward as parents are to ensure that our daughters know and understand the importance of paying it forward as well.  Teaching kindness to your daughters is a lesson that they can absolutely use every day, throughout their entire lives.

How to Teach Your Daughters to Pay it Forward

• Teach them the importance of saying kind words.  Words hold so much power in making or breaking someone’s day.  We’ve all been there and have noticed the downfall effect that negative words can have.  They truly can cause a domino effect.  Your daughters have the ability to understand the importance of this at a young age.  By teaching them this simple lesson, they will be able to brighten the days of those around them with simplicity. Words are like an egg when we say those words it cannot be taken back. Make sure your daughters have an understanding of this.
• Equip your daughters by teaching them the values necessary in life. We should also have family values that guide their everyday living. Values such as Integrity, courtesy, commitment, compassion, empathy, and some others. I am currently working on integrity with my girls and gradually we are making a headway. Just we have values guiding us we need to introduce set values for our daughters to help them in this world.
• Lead by example.  During the daily activities of our lives, there is an abundance of ways to be able to pay it forward.  What better way to teach your daughters how to do it, than by showing them how you do it. The degree of kindness can vary from holding open the door for others, to paying for someone’s lunch in the line ahead of you, to offering your seat for an elderly person and the list goes on. When you do something kind for others, talk to your daughters about it and about why you did it. Take pride in the fact that you brought a smile to someone’s face or made their day a bit better, and communicate those feelings that you are having with your daughter’s as well.
• Explain that happiness and laughter are contagious.  Just like negative thoughts and actions that can cause that downfall effect, so can happiness and laughter.  Except it causes an upswing in emotions and helps others spread their happiness to those around them as well.  Have you ever had the pleasure of being around someone who was just so happy-go-lucky and smiling all the time?  It’s amazing!  People who are happy, and spread that happiness, help others see that happiness can be simple to obtain.  Top that off with a smile, and your daughters have learned how to pay it forward just by simply sharing their own natural emotions!
• [clickToTweet tweet=”Teach your daughters to treat others the way they want to be treated” quote=”Teach your daughters to treat others the way they want to be treated”] This will guide into putting other peoples feeling into consideration before they act. Even we as mothers are guilty of this. We need to work on ourselves because like we said we are like a mirror that our daughters look up to. Let’s not make assumptions about others and teach our daughters accordingly. If you won’t take it, then don’t give it.
• Have a fun “Random Acts of Kindness Day” with your daughters.  Surprise them with a day full of giving to others.  From the moment that they wake up to the moment they go to bed, the purpose of the day is to spend it together in a way to brighten the days of someone else.  Give each of your daughters a choice on how they want to pay it forward to others, and then make it happen.  Having them think of their own ways is an awesome exercise for their minds to get used to the idea.  Maybe they want to donate their old clothes to a local shelter, or make up some cookies and drop them by the police department to tell the law enforcement thank you…whatever they choose, support it.  There is no right or wrong way to pay it forward to someone else!

Teaching your daughters to pay it forward is an amazing experience to be a part of.  You have the ability to watch them grow while learning how to spread kindness and cheer to others as well.  Help foster that love of kindness for others by being a part of their excitement and be engaging as a family when doing nice things.  Paying it forward is a great lesson to teach your daughters at a young age that they will remember, cherish and pass along to others anywhere that they go!

Let’s do this!