He might be giving her a raisin from the floor, but he’s still GIVING.
Kate wrote an amazing call to kindness this holiday season, and I hope you will participate.
We like to get our whole family involved in giving, but with our kids only 3 and 6 years old, it can be difficult. We always remind ourselves that young kids aren’t suppose to fully understand generosity and charity. Yes, I’m sure your preschooler and kindergartner does, and they’re probably the next Mother Teresa and Dalai Lama, but all the OTHER kids are still learning to share and give and care. Heck, adults don’t always understand why others have less than them: They earned it so why can’t the family down the road? mentality.
Here are some general ways to incorporate children in acts of kindness and find the true spirit of the holidays.
1. Start with people who are easy. Particularly for young kids, pick people they see, love and can quickly understand give so much to them rather than a stranger or random Aunt Sally from Boise, Idaho. Perhaps with a parent or a sibling. My kids are very excited to make something for their dad this year because dad plays football and sings silly songs and does so much with them that it’s easier to understand giving back to him. And while that’s not a random act of kindness, it is the spirit of giving rather than wondering what Dad is getting them for Christmas this year.
2. Chose a personal project. If your child loves to paint, have them paint something for someone. If your child likes to build, you can talk about how other children like to build but can’t afford a LEGO set. You can build him up as a great builder and know-er of LEGO sets and could he pick out his favorite set at the store so another boy can build just like he builds. No kid could resist that.
3. Give away their money. No really. If your child is older, you can have them save money and divide a percentage of it into savings, spending and charity. The charity portion should be freely chosen within limits of nonprofits that are well-run. Last year, I listed my favorite charities on my personal blog and my commenters listed theirs. I also like to cross-reference Charity Navigator and Charity Watch to help distinguish the good charities from not so good ones. Kids will be most inclined to give if you stick with rule #2 and look at nonprofits that are interesting to them. Not you.
In the end, remember that giving is fun and joyful. Don’t berate your child if they aren’t in the spirit. Even Mother Teresa had bad days, and your kids isn’t going to find generosity through you calling them names or yelling. Model the behavior you want to see in them and try again tomorrow. You’ll have little saints in no time.
