A NIGHT TO REMEMBER ◽ HOME
Did you know that June 1 is Say Something Nice Day? It started 20 years ago! Maybe we like to think that we always say nice things, but do we? Maybe we could learn practical ways of how to be kind with our words, and how it starts with our thoughts…
Preparation: Ask each one to bring a stuffed animal or character to the living room, even the parents. Parents can borrow a stuffie from the kids!
Let’s practice saying compliments to each other. A compliment is something nice you say to another person about how they look, how nice they are, or anything you appreciate about them!
Here are some examples:
I love your new shoes. They’re so cute.
I noticed you put away your dishes. Thank you.
Now, let’s practice saying kind words to each other. (Let each one go around and say something nice.)
Was that hard to do? If it was, maybe it’s because we don’t look for the nice things about others, enough!
The reason we want to say something nice is that we want to be a lifter, not a downer. The bible says God is the glory and the lifter of our heads! Psalm 3:3. God tells us nice things throughout his word! In fact, if we think bad thoughts about ourselves, that is not God’s voice. So we have to remember that He loves us so much, and that will help us love others and lift their heads!
Another way we can practice saying something nice is to stop and think before we speak. Maybe we start to say something mean or that would hurt our sibling or a friend, and we pray and ask God to help us stop and think about the word LIFT. Does what we’re about to say lift them up?
L – is it LOVING? Say it.
I - is it ICKY? Don’t say it.
F – is it FRIENDLY? Then say it.
T – is it tacky? Keep quiet.
Let’s take our stuffed animals and think of them as a friend. Take a look at your animal and stop and think about what you love about it. Now say it out loud. (practice this).
We can then do this with our friends and family. Sometimes, family can be the worst place where we say mean things, when our siblings or parents annoy us. However, remember that He is the lifter of our heads, and we are the lifters of each other!
Finally, think about how fun it is when Mom or Dad lifts you up and swings you around, or lifts you up high in the sky, or raises you up above a crowd so that you can see better. (Let the kids share). That’s what nice words do for others. They lift them up so they can enjoy life better!
(See if Mom or Dad will lift one of the kids and watch them squeal!)
Pass the stuffies around the circle and give them each a hug, and then hug each other. And pray together this prayer:
Family prayer:
Dear Lord,
Forgive us for all the unkind words we have said to friends and family. Help us as we communicate to stop and think about the word LIFT before we speak. Then help us to say words that lift up the ones we’re talking to, so they can see this beautiful world you made a little better, and know that they are loved.
Amen