If you could change the world in the time it takes to read a bedtime story to a child, would you try? The holiday season gives us that chance. Children are watching, listening, and absorbing the quiet lessons we model—lessons about kindness, courage, and generosity.
We often ask, “If money were no object, what would you do to change the world?” Answers tumble out easily, pointing to the people and places closest to our hearts.
But meaningful change rarely starts with a grand plan. It begins with a single, intentional choice, one small act of compassion and the courage to follow through.
That is the hopeful message in Chris Field’s book, A Billion Hours of Good, which challenges each of us to invest just fourteen minutes a day in doing something kind for someone else. If millions acted on that idea, it would add up to more than a billion hours of good—and a world noticeably changed.
The holidays make those minutes easy to find, woven naturally into our days:
- The time it takes to fold laundry
- A pause while holiday treats bake
- The time to read a bedtime story
- A car ride across town
For children, fourteen minutes feels “just right”—short enough to stay engaged, long enough to make a meaningful difference. For families and grandparents, it becomes a natural space to teach enduring values.
Children notice far more than we realize. They watch when we deliver a meal to a neighbor, write a note to someone grieving, or pause to help instead of hurrying past. When kindness becomes a daily rhythm, it becomes part of a child’s identity.
Field reminds us that creativity fuels compassion. I once believed creativity belonged only to the artistically gifted. But creativity is simply imagination in motion—a gift every child possesses and every adult can rekindle.
The holidays offer countless ways to channel that creative energy into generosity:
- Bake cookies and deliver them to an elderly neighbor
- Turn construction paper into handmade cards for a lonely friend
- Decorate a Giving Box and fill it with gently used toys
- Invite children to pick a nonprofit that could use more joy this season
When children help shape the idea, giving becomes joyful, personal, and deeply meaningful.
These fourteen-minute windows are also perfect moments for planting seeds of lifelong generosity. Try simple, open-ended questions:
- “What small good thing could we do together today?”
- “Who might need extra kindness this week?”
- “How did it feel to help someone?”
Reflection connects emotion to action. That makes the memory last.
Children may forget many of the gifts they unwrap this year. But they will remember what they did with you: the cookies delivered, the neighbor visited, the card created, the kindness extended.
These are the moments that teach them how to change the world.
For donors and families
The fourteen-minute practice is a simple way for families to build generosity into daily life—especially during the holidays, but just as powerful throughout the year.
Try these ideas:
- Create a December “Generosity Calendar” with a small act to do each day
- Let children choose a nonprofit to support with time, toys, or spare change
- Establish a “Family Giving Night” during the holidays
- Ask children to identify someone at school, church, or in the neighborhood who needs extra kindness
- Share stories from your own childhood about generosity—moments that shaped you
Why it matters:
These simple practices build your family’s giving identity, strengthen empathy, and invite children into the joy of helping others. Fourteen minutes can anchor the habits that grow into lifelong generosity.
For nonprofits
This concept is a gift to nonprofits looking for meaningful, easy-to-share messages during the holiday season and beyond.
Ways nonprofits can use the fourteen-minute idea:
- Turn it into a December social media or email campaign
- Encourage volunteers and donors to share their own “14-minute acts of good”
- Invite families to create Giving Boxes filled with items your organization needs
- Feature staff or client stories that highlight how small acts can have enormous impact
- Incorporate the idea into year-end appeals. Show donors that generosity takes many forms
Why it works:
Nonprofits thrive on small, consistent acts of generosity. This framework makes giving accessible, achievable, and emotionally resonant for supporters of all ages.
Fourteen minutes is all it takes to begin. One small, joyful action at a time. And there is no better season than this one to start shaping a legacy of generosity.
Read it. Share it. Pass it on.
If you have a question or a topic you would like to see explored in future posts, please reach out to me.
