subject: Teaching Kids About Charitable Giving [print this page] Charitable giving is an important part of what makes us human.Though we are bombarded on a daily basis with stories of violence and greed,most of us are interested in and work hard to help those in need.
This has been happening for centuries because parents have instilled in their children the principle of charitable giving. It is incumbent upon parents of this generation to continue that lineage by teaching their children the importance of helping others through charitable giving.
There are many ways parents can do this. Not surprisingly, as with most learned behaviors, it must be set forth as an example. Many parents organize charitable giving that centers around family activities like working together at a food bank or volunteering at a local humanitarian organization. Children who see their parents engaged in charitable giving are much more likely to do so themselves.
As children grow older, parents can encourage their children to get involved with local community-based charitable giving. This may or may not involve participation through some organized charity. It could be as simple as raking leaves or mowing grass for an elderly person in the neighborhood or offering to help a neighbor who is in some kind of need.
Of course, charitable giving through financial means is also a desirable trait to instill. Families can do this through establishing a family budget for charitable giving and including the entire family in the decisions about how to designate those funds.
Children love to help other children and countless organizations exist that help bring relief to children throughout the world. These could be organizations that focus on battling hunger, disease, child labor, or even providing shoes and clothing for the underprivileged. Sadly, there is no shortage of need for children throughout the world, but this need creates a tremendous opportunity for parents to pass on an enduring value.
If successful, parents can raise children who become sensitive to the plight of others as they develop into adolescence and adulthood. This may involve helping to fund a mission trip or some other charitable activity in which the more mature child leaves his or her community and goes to help others in need. Many churches and other organizations organize such trips. They can be valuable experiences for children to gain much needed perspective regarding their lives and culture in comparison to that of others.
From the very beginning, every parent wants to teach their children the value and importance of sharing. That goes beyond the toy box and the playground, however. Children need to be taught the importance of sharing their time and their resources. That way, as they grow older and become the healthy and successful men and women we want them to be, they can share those things with others through charitable giving.
by: Julia Rostin
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