The Importance of Choosing Smiles and Kindness #ChooseSmiles #ChooseKind

Disclosure: This is a sponsored partnership with Crest. All opinions are 100% my own.

Choosing smiles and kindness is something I try to teach my kids every day. Every morning before my children go off to school, there are 3 things I tell them:

1. I love you
2. Try your best today
3. Be kind

I’ve always felt that those are the 3 most important things that I can say to them as they go off on their day, out into the world!

Let me share a personal story with you.

A Story of Choosing Smiles

This past July we moved to a new town in Rhode Island. My sons were leaving everything that they knew – their school, their friends, their neighborhood, their swim team, everything. It was a move that we decided to do pretty last minute, so there really wasn’t much prepping or planning for them. We decided in June, right after school got out and made the move 4 weeks later. All the kids had were each other.

Choosing kindness is something I try to instill in my kids.

As the first day of school at their new school crept closer and closer for my sons, I could see the anxiety of being the “new kids” more and more apparent on their faces. Even as I write this, my eyes are filling up with tears as I think back. I knew they didn’t know more than a handful of kids, so I knew they were nervous but hopeful that they would make friends quickly. I know they were worried about lunchtime on their first day of school and I just kept telling them, “you’ll be fine”… hoping and praying that they would be. As a parent, your heart is just aching, but there isn’t much you can do to ensure that the perfect scenario will happen. The only thing I could do for them was to tell them to be kind, smile and put yourself out there.

My boys have the choosing smiles thing down.
First Day of School – August 2017

Smiles can go a long way when it comes to meeting new people, making friends, and spreading initial kindness when placed in a new situation. I was hopeful that by using a simple smile, my kids would attract kind kids who would invite them in.

2 months later… I am thrilled to share that the move to our new town was the best thing we ever did. My sons each have a group of friends that have become their “tribe” and I am beyond thankful. It all started with smiles and kindness.

The boys outside with their new friends. Choosing smiles paid off!
Glimpse outside my window of a weekly meet-up with friends coming over after school!

Crest and WONDER Promote Choosing Smiles

When I saw that the Crest (the only toothpaste my family uses!) teamed up with the movie WONDER, in theaters this Friday (November 17th), to establish choosing smiles as a universal act of kindness, I was just moved to pieces. It really hit home for me. If you’re not familiar with the New York Times best-seller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, who becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he unites his family and classmates in kindness to prove that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

As you can imagine, I can’t get through the trailer without a few tears. It’s such a powerful book and I know the movie will be just as powerful. What’s even more powerful is seeing what Crest is helping to create. They want to help create a kinder world and have donated 50,000 tubes of toothpaste to a WONDER partner organization called Cities of Kindness, Also, Crest and WONDER are inviting everybody to join their powerful new campaign to amplify the power of smiles, through #ChooseSmiles & #ChooseKind every day.

Choosing smiles and kindness with Crest.

In a world where you might feel that there’s not much to smile about these days, Crest wants you to know that smiles are powerful and possess almost “super-power-like” qualities. I remember as a teenager, whenever I was in a “bad mood” my mother would always say to me, “smile for 60 seconds and watch how much you feel better!” Every single time, I did… I felt better! Try it! Smiling is one of our most powerful human connectors and it’s also a true and pure and universally understood exchange between humans. Smiling at someone is kindness in motion. Smiles can truly change someone’s day, defuse tension, change outcomes, but most importantly they can create more smiles.

Right now… smile! See how GOOD it makes you feel!

I saw the power of smiles and kindness in my own family this past summer, so I truly love and cherish this campaign that Crest is doing with WONDER. The message is so impactful and powerful for adults and kids alike!

This is what choosing smiles does for life.

Thank you to Crest for committing to healthy, beautiful smiles for life. It’s just as important to take care of your smile, too! Make sure you’re doing that with your family, too! Let’s help create beautiful and warm, happy SMILES!

Choose smiles.
Choose kindness.

It’s the best way to live life!

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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9 Comments

  1. 11.13.17
    susan said:

    Being kind to others makes us feel better about ourselves! My daughter loved this book, and we are looking forward to seeing the movie too!

  2. 11.13.17
    Desiree Lopez said:

    This is such an important campaign that Crest is running. I LOVE to see more people spreading smiles and kindness than all the negativity that seems to boil over these days. This campaign makes ME smile. 🙂

  3. 11.14.17

    I love this initiative so much. Our world needs so much more smiles in it. It’s getting bad out there!

  4. 11.14.17
    lisalisa said:

    I wish our world would be more kind!! This is so important and I tell my children that daily to smile and be kind, you never know that smile from you today could make someone’s day. This is a great campaign!

  5. 11.14.17
    Scott said:

    It’s such good advice, and one that I forget all the time. Trying real hard to remember it more often!

  6. 11.24.17
    Brandy said:

    I agree this is the best way to live life. Stress had consumed me for a bit and while what caused the stress is still here and existing, I realized the other day that I never let stress get me down in the dumps and angry or grumpy, I have always chosen kindness and smiles. That’s what I’ve been doing and while the stress builds, I continue to practice kindness and smile, for there is so much to be happy about among the stressful stuff!

  7. 11.24.17

    I say I love you to my kids throughout the day. I also make sure that I love you is the last thing that I say to all three at night.

  8. 11.29.17
    Kristi said:

    I love your three tips that you give the kids. We ALL need to start our day with positive messages. Sounds like Crest is doing great things, always impressive when a large company gives back to make things in the world even better.

  9. 12.1.17
    Marysa said:

    I think we are seeing the movie tomorrow – been waiting to see it now for a while, as we read the book a while back! Spreading positivity is so important and a great message to teach our kids.

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