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Day 18: Good memories
Recall a special gift your child made or gave to you in years past. Tell them how good it made you feel and how you still love looking at, or using it today. It may be a bracelet you wear often, a picture on the wall, or an item you keep on your bookshelf. Whatever the case, remind your child how special they are to you and that you are so proud to be their parent.
Coach's Corner: Thinking back about good things does not just impact the other person; it prevents the common trap of getting your mindset stuck on today's problems. A 2014 The Atlantic article on John Gottman's research of couples pointed out, "People who are focused on criticizing their partners miss a whopping 50 percent of positive things their partners are doing and they see negativity when it's not there." And the principle applies far beyond romantic relationships. When we are focused on criticizing, we miss the positives and see negativity even when it's not there. (See Emily Esfahani Smith, "Masters of Love", The Atlantic, Jun 12, 2014.)
The 30-Day Kindness Challenge is brought to you via our partnership with Shaunti Feldhahn, and is based on her research for The Kindness Challenge.
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