Teaching Kids About Giving Back

No matter how much or how little we have, it’s always an important lesson to teach our children to give whatever they can to others in need. This could be something material or it could be their personal time. If we start at an early age, even toddlers and children of daycare age will grow to respect others and believe in the power of caring and giving. Here are a few ways to teach children about giving back to the community at large and to show them that even small contributions can make a big difference to someone else.

Gifts

Kids usually have a birthday party every year, celebrate holidays where presents are exchanged, and get other gifts for various occasions throughout the year. You can make it a tradition for your child to select one or more of these presents to donate to a child in need. There are many organizations looking for toys and clothing, as well as hospitals for children who could use more items for their patients. You can also donate gently used toys or clothing to centers such as Toys for Tots or local community shelters. Try to keep this tradition going throughout your child’s life and he’ll surely pass it on to his own children one day. Your child will feel good knowing he is sharing with someone less fortunate and the person on the receiving end will have something to play with or wear thanks to your family.

Volunteering

There are so many ways to volunteer in your local community and you can find the right way to do so based on your child’s age and level of development. For example, you can go to a local soup kitchen to help feed the hungry. Many pet shelters need help from people of all ages to groom or play with the animals. Nursing homes often enjoy having young people around to spend time with elderly residents. Older kids can volunteer in peer mentoring or tutoring programs. Visit your local library, place of worship, community center, or your child’s school to learn about volunteering opportunities. Volunteering will bring good-hearted people together while helping those in need of support. Your child will benefit tremendously when he sees firsthand how he’s making a difference.

Raising Money

You and your child can select one or more charities that are close to your heart and make an effort to raise money. You can do something as simple as setting up a lemonade stand to starting a fundraising website. You can get together with other families to make a bigger impact or do it yourself. Either way, the charity or cause you donate the funds to will be forever thankful. Instead of coming home after school and watching TV or playing video games, your child will be doing something fun, worthwhile, and important to the world around him. Every penny counts when others are in need.

Giving back is something that will always come back around. When your child does good things for others, he will always know how proud you are and he’ll be proud of himself as well.

How do you teach your children to give back? We’d love to hear some new ideas and heart-warming stories. For more information like this, please visit All My Children.

By: Melissa A. Kay