Part 3 – Sharing Joy with Others

Sharing Joy with Others

There is no better feeling than sharing joy with someone else! The holidays focus on sharing joy and giving to others, but any moment we share joy is a moment to celebrate! Children often live in the present moment, naturally embodying joy and spreading it to others. So what if we stop and take some time to share joy with our kids in the moment?  Let's pause, put down our phones, and sit on the floor to play with them.  Imagine entering their fairytale land and embracing the kid within as we journey through their imagination. Stepping inside the moment will also provide the opportunity to feel joy together and create some special memories. 

Also, encourage your kids to share joy in the simplest of ways by helping someone out, making a drawing for a friend or giving a hug to a loved one. Show them that joyful deeds, no matter how big or small, can make an important impact on other’s lives.

How Joy Sun Bear Shares Joy

"I love sharing joy by doing things I know are special to my friends and family, like making a friend laugh, or saying something nice about a loved one just to see them smile."

Sharing Joy in Action

As we discussed in our last post, acting on something is what motivates your children to act in return.  One way to do this is by sharing joy with others and pointing out when others share joy with you to display it in action.  This will encourage them to do the same and pay attention to the loving feeling joy brings when it is shared.  Below is a great video from the Naik Foundation on sharing care and joy. Feel free to share this video with your children and students so they can see how anyone can share joy and make a difference. 

Sharing Joy Jar Activity

After discussing and showing your children the importance of sharing joy and watching the video above, help them practice sharing joy with this fun exercise. Ask your children (or start a class discussion) and see how they would like to share joy with someone else. You can then show them support by encouraging them to act on their idea.  Afterwards, ask them how it felt to share joy, have them (or help them) write down their answer on a small piece of paper and place it in a glass mason jar, titled, Share Joy Jar.  Let your children and students have some fun decorating their "Share Joy Jar" with stickers, paint or glitter glue!  Each time they share joy, they can write down what they did, how they felt afterwards and place it in the jar.  After the jar is full, they can read through all the great ways they shared joy with others!

This will help them be aware of sharing joy and feel proud of themselves for the positive energy they are putting into the world.  Feel free to send us a picture of your child's "Share Joy Jar" with one of their favorite ways they have shared joy: 

1. Email us your picture and answer(s) to [email protected]

2. Post your picture and answer(s) on our Facebook page Joy Sun Bear or tag us on Twitter @JoySunBear and use the hashtag #seethworldwithjoy.

Our next post will be our last one on the word "joy", recapping all we have learned and revealing our surprise project.

Double your joy today by sharing it with others!