Teaching Kids the Importance of Giving |
Remember that old adage, ‘Tis better to give than to receive’? With the holiday season fast approaching, some parents want to teach their children by example how satisfying it can be to give to those less fortunate. While nothing can quite match the excitement of unwrapping that latest Barbie or Beyblades under the tree on Christmas morning, establishing charitable traditions in your family during the holiday season can enhance your child’s maturing sense of compassion and empathy towards others. Besides, it can be fun!
For many parents, establishing compassionate holiday traditions comes naturally, following an example set by their own parents. Shelley Tyler, mother of 3 year-old Mitchell, remembers working alongside her parents and foster siblings to provide ‘Secret Santa’ toys to less fortunate children through the local Children’s Aid Society. “I think it made us much more aware that some kids don’t enjoy Christmas the way we do, that we can really make a difference in someone’s life”. For those searching for charitable works, there is no shortage of causes looking for support during the holiday season.
Locally, parents can contact their Community Food Bank and ask about putting together a Christmas hamper for a needy family. This brings a more personal meaning to your contribution, and is a good way to involve your children, as they come up with ideas for gifts for the family’s children. Shelley Tyler’s son Mitchell, though only 3 years old, participates by helping sort and launder clothes for needy children, as well as contributing the cost of one Christmas meal from his piggy bank. Kathy Ventura, mom to three young children, believes her family’s involvement in Ottawa’s annual Help Santa Toy Parade has taught her children the importance of bringing Christmas to less fortunate children. “It’s really hard explaining to young children the concept of giving to others. We told them that Santa’s elves are so busy making toys, he needs a bit of help to make sure all of the kids have Christmas this year”, said Ventura, whose husband is one of hundreds of local firefighters who make this event a success each year.
On an international level, there are several organizations that help bring the spirit of Christmas to poverty stricken families in second and third world countries. Bridget McKessock discovered Operation Christmas Child through her church, and has made a tradition of working with her two boys to fill a box of goodies for another child. While the needs are strikingly practical, from toothbrushes to school supplies and soap, the children get to buy the ‘fun stuff’, the small toys and candy that all children delight in receiving. McKessock says “with each passing year, the children come to understand what it means, and we talk as we are packing the boxes about what life might be like for the child who will receive it”.
Starting a charitable tradition in your family can be simple, like bringing some homemade baked goods to an elderly person who is alone at Christmas. The complexity of the task is not important, only the message received by your children. By explaining the reason for the activity, children learn that they are doing something for others, and by your example, they understand the importance and meaning their own family places on helping others. Even parents of very young children can plant the seeds of giving early with age appropriate books and videos that reinforce the true meaning of the season. As they grow older, allow them to work with you as you package some toys or take your turn at the local soup kitchen. Sharing your own good fortune with others is a simple concept, one that children can grasp easily if it is reinforced by example. Far easier than, say, sharing that cool new train set from Santa!
Tracy King is an Ottawa mother of two children aged 2 1/2 and 6 months old.
For many parents, establishing compassionate holiday traditions comes naturally, following an example set by their own parents. Shelley Tyler, mother of 3 year-old Mitchell, remembers working alongside her parents and foster siblings to provide ‘Secret Santa’ toys to less fortunate children through the local Children’s Aid Society. “I think it made us much more aware that some kids don’t enjoy Christmas the way we do, that we can really make a difference in someone’s life”. For those searching for charitable works, there is no shortage of causes looking for support during the holiday season.
Locally, parents can contact their Community Food Bank and ask about putting together a Christmas hamper for a needy family. This brings a more personal meaning to your contribution, and is a good way to involve your children, as they come up with ideas for gifts for the family’s children. Shelley Tyler’s son Mitchell, though only 3 years old, participates by helping sort and launder clothes for needy children, as well as contributing the cost of one Christmas meal from his piggy bank. Kathy Ventura, mom to three young children, believes her family’s involvement in Ottawa’s annual Help Santa Toy Parade has taught her children the importance of bringing Christmas to less fortunate children. “It’s really hard explaining to young children the concept of giving to others. We told them that Santa’s elves are so busy making toys, he needs a bit of help to make sure all of the kids have Christmas this year”, said Ventura, whose husband is one of hundreds of local firefighters who make this event a success each year.
On an international level, there are several organizations that help bring the spirit of Christmas to poverty stricken families in second and third world countries. Bridget McKessock discovered Operation Christmas Child through her church, and has made a tradition of working with her two boys to fill a box of goodies for another child. While the needs are strikingly practical, from toothbrushes to school supplies and soap, the children get to buy the ‘fun stuff’, the small toys and candy that all children delight in receiving. McKessock says “with each passing year, the children come to understand what it means, and we talk as we are packing the boxes about what life might be like for the child who will receive it”.
Starting a charitable tradition in your family can be simple, like bringing some homemade baked goods to an elderly person who is alone at Christmas. The complexity of the task is not important, only the message received by your children. By explaining the reason for the activity, children learn that they are doing something for others, and by your example, they understand the importance and meaning their own family places on helping others. Even parents of very young children can plant the seeds of giving early with age appropriate books and videos that reinforce the true meaning of the season. As they grow older, allow them to work with you as you package some toys or take your turn at the local soup kitchen. Sharing your own good fortune with others is a simple concept, one that children can grasp easily if it is reinforced by example. Far easier than, say, sharing that cool new train set from Santa!
Tracy King is an Ottawa mother of two children aged 2 1/2 and 6 months old.
