A Year of Kindness: Be kind to your family

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do…but how much love we put in that action.” – Mother Teresa

Home is meant to provide comfort and security, a place where we can retreat after a long day at work, build memories with our loved ones, and recharge our batteries. But if we aren’t careful, it can also be a place of stress, conflict, and negativity.

Imagine coming home from a long, stressful day at work. You push aside your weariness and manage to prepare a hot meal for your family without the assistance of a drive-thru or DoorDash delivery. After everyone finishes eating, you ask your family to help clean up. Your request is met with groans, eyerolls, resistance, and finally, grudging compliance. In the end, yes, the table gets cleared, and dishes are done – but how do you feel? Do you feel like your efforts were noticed? Do you feel appreciated? Has the stress from your day increased or decreased?

Now, take the same scenario – only this time after your family finishes eating, they thank you for cooking dinner, tell you how much they enjoyed what you made, then start cleaning the table and doing the dishes without being asked. Now how do you feel? Do you feel more appreciated? Less stressed? More grateful? More loved?

Why kindness matters within our families

Family members see each other at their best and worst. That’s why kindness is an important ingredient in a peaceful and loving home. Being kind means we are generous and considerate without expecting anything in return. It also means we treat others with respect, compassion, and understanding. In a household where people prioritize kindness, burdens are shared, people feel respected, and loved ones realize how much they are valued.

But we must be deliberate in our efforts to nurture and practice kindness, and carefully create the conditions for it to grow. It starts with us! When we engage in acts of kindness at home, we inspire others in our family to do the same – and then we take that spirit with us when we go back out into the world.

Take a few moments to reflect: What opportunities do you have within your family to offer kindness? If you need some ideas, our July Year of Kindness prompts are outlined below. We encourage you to join us – and focus on putting kindness into our actions at home!