Teach Your Children about Charity this Holiday Season

Voluntary work and giving of help have been more popular in the past few years than in prior years. There have been many natural disasters and criminal acts around the world. People are beginning to realize the horrific pictures of pain on the news and the suffering of folks around the globe that are continually on the news. There are many agencies and fundraising sites and people are reaching into their pockets more now than ever before. They are beginning to understand the relief the survivors need from all these tragedies.

Parents are starting to teach their children about the destruction brought on by these catastrophes as an opportunity to help their children learn about the importance of helping others in need. Some have made generous family donations and are beginning to involve their children in helping to choose the charity, letting them write the check, and helping them prepare the envelope for the mail. Parents are beginning to let their children help turn the pain and grief around from these unimaginable losses into love and compassion to strangers that are all over the world.

The recent devastations provide an opportunity to teach children about charity and to let them know that charity can be more than a one time experience. Parents want to teach their children the spirit of giving and hope it becomes a way of life for them as they grow into adults. You can help your children acquire the habit of charity by implementing strategies as a family. Here are some ways you can teach your children to give to people in need.

Giving to charity

Teach your family to go through their closets periodically to rummage through some of the clothing they can’t wear anymore. You can help your children donate these clothes to the Salvation Army or Goodwill for distribution to the needy. You can encourage your kids to select which clothing items or toys they wish to donate. Don’t go through their closets without them, because then they don’t get the feel of what it’s like to really be a part of giving to the needy. Ask your children to donate the appropriate items and take your kids with you when you drop off the items at the charity they choose.

Offer your neighbor a hand

You can teach your kids to often engage in service related projects. They can help neighbors rake leaves if they are elderly, shovel snow, bake cookies for servicemen overseas, bake bread and deliver it to the homeless station in your community.

Donate blood

Try to always bring the kids along with you when you donate blood so they can see the example that you are setting. Explain to them the importance of giving blood and why it is critical.

Have a Charitable Party around the Holidays

You can choose to arrange Christmas parties as a time for giving. At your child’s first Christmas party, ask the guests to bring a present that can be donated or a new or used book to be donated to a local charity. Talk to your child about the books they have and explain to your child that some children don’t have any books. Tell them that a good way to celebrate Christmas would be to give to those who have less. Make sure you involve your child in the decision of whether he or she wants to give the books to a women’s shelter, a doctor’s office, or another important organization for the needy. When you decide to deliver the books with your child, you can always make a video on your camera and watch the video on future holidays.

Donate your Christmas gifts

Some families have actually donated all the gifts they were planning on receiving and given the money that was going to go for their gifts and bought gifts for needy families. Some cities have agencies that have sign up times and paperwork that is turned in and families can obtain the names and donate a set amount to each family member. Many families need food, laundry soap, household supplies, maybe a car repair as a donation and gifts for their children. It’s always nice to see if these families need a Christmas tree as well.

Use Spare change to make a difference

You can ask your children if they would like to create a charity jar for the needy for Christmas and use their allowances to put into the jar. Ask your kids to invite some of their friends to contribute some of their allowances by donating the money and putting the money in the jar. Watch as the jar fills. Decide as a family where and who you want to contribute the money to. You can choose a needy family, or contribute to children who have cancer for the holidays. Read with your children about various organizations on the web and share this information with your children to help them make a good decision.

You will feel great as parents when you teach your children how to make someone else’s Christmas nice. There are many more people in the world than there was a hundred years ago and huge catastrophic events that our grandparents never even witnessed as they grew up. The world has changed with social media and the news is more readily available to our children and many of them are learning hardship at a young age. It’s important that you teach your children to share the wealth because someday the same thing could happen to them. One never knows when a parent is going to lose their job due to a company downsizing. One never knows if they are going to see another Christmas with all their loved ones because a family member might pass away unexpectedly. It’s good to have faith and teach your children some of the same good qualities that you learned as a child. Someday someone might be there to help you and your family if you are ever in need over the holidays.