Around this time of year, we take time to think about the power of giving and its importance. As Thanksgiving and Christmas come around, this is a good time to talk to your child about why giving back is important.
It is easiest to show the effects of giving to children by example. Below, we have listed some charitable acts you can practice with your child:
- Donate old clothes that your child has grown out of. Many charities take old clothes like The Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc.
- Donate canned goods. Especially this time of year, when there is a huge focus on food and hearty meals, try donating some canned food to charities for those who need it.
- Volunteer at local organizations like a soup kitchen, local church charity, etc. Choosing a day or days for this as a family activity teaches kids about giving back to the community.
- Recycling and cleaning up in the community. Recycling and making sure our environment is clean and protected is another major way to teach your child about giving our environment the chance to stay clean and survive.
- Donate some of your birthday or Christmas gifts. Another wonderful way to show children the importance of giving is to donate some or all of the money they would use or receive during a birthday or other holiday to a cause of their choosing. Learning to share an important day is a valuable lesson for a child; a fundamental part of celebrating is also giving.
There are many more ways you can give back to the community and share these values with your children. Whatever you choose, we hope these ideas will help you and your family learn and participate in the process of giving.