I recently had a very neat moment with my son where I was explaining to him what the word “humble” meant.  He recently turned five and I was surprised to find that I struggled to offer a definition of “humble” in language a child his age could understand. 

After a few attempts trying to explain it to him, I switched gears and tried to speak of it in terms of real life examples.  As I was doing that I remembered back to when I learned it’s definition in a way that impacted me. 

In seventh grade, I went to a church camp where they had us wash each other’s feet as an example of what Jesus did with his disciples to publically display his humility.  I explained the story to Jaken and he and I then washed each other's feet.  It was a really neat experience.  By the way, I am a deeply spiritual man but I am not deeply religious.

Every now and then, since that time, Jaken will ask if he can wash my feet during bath time and he has even washed his younger brother’s.  He got the concept of the word humble by using this example and often he reminds me now when he does things that are humble. 

In a world where unchecked assertiveness is rewarded and encouraged, this is a neat exercise you can do with your kids to show them service and humility.  Give it a try with your little ones.  The “little hand” foot rub is a real bonus, not to mention the closeness of the entire exercise.