Teaching your children the spirit of giving, showing them the importance of putting others before self, and modelling kindness are important ways to help kids grow into productive and loving members of our society.
As we march into the holiday season, there are more avenues and practical approaches for us to teach kids about giving.
If you have been asking yourself the question of how to raise a generous kid, here are six ways to go about doing that.
Tips to teach kids about giving
1. Start young, start small
A very good way to get the young ones to understand the joy of giving is in encouraging them to share the things they own or that they have laboured for.
For the latter, it doesn’t have to be a big project. A very good example would be baking cookies together with the kids.
You can have a bonding session with them during the baking and packing process. After that, distribute the packed goodies to your neighbours or the hardworking folks who keep your neighbourhood clean. When the recipients of the cookies flash their smiles of gratitude at the little ones, you can be sure that your children’s hearts will be warmed. This is a practical way to teach kids about giving and if you do it often with them, they will soon adopt it as a way of life.
Read also: 10 New Year’s Resolutions Every Child Should Make
2. Read books that teach kids about giving to others
Explaining to children, especially the younger ones, about generosity can sometimes be a challenge. This is when stories can come in powerfully to teach and shape young minds.
Children’s books are excellent resources when it comes to talking to kids about the importance of giving. They facilitate conversations with the little ones and demonstrate ways on how to give of themselves.
One of the more popular children’s books that teaches about generosity or unselfishness is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This story will certainly set the children thinking about ways to give back to others.
There are many other good stories that teach the value of giving and they would be excellent tools to answer your question of how to raise a generous kid.
3. Set aside pocket money for charity
You would probably have encouraged your kids to start saving the moment they receive their pocket money. Apart from teaching your kids to save, go a step further and get them to set aside a small percentage of their pocket money that is meant for donating.
An easy and practical way is to provide your children with a three-part piggy bank—one section for saving, one for spending, and one for donating. Let your children decide which charity or cause they would like to donate that portion of their pocket money to. Alternatively, you can decide as a family and pick a charity to which you are interested in giving.
4. Donate
Donating your unused or gently used items to someone who might need them is a great way to involve and teach kids about giving.
With the Christmas season approaching, you could get your kids to take part in the Boys’ Brigade’s Share-A-Gift, an annual community service that encourages the community to fulfil the wishes of needy kids and families by donating food items at selected supermarkets island-wide.
Besides this, you can also choose to deliver gift hampers or challenge your kids to be generous by buying a gift that’s been wished for on any Share-A-Gift tree located at the various supermarkets.
5. Be a volunteer
Giving doesn’t always have to involve money or material goods. You can give in terms of your time and energy. There are always people who need practical help and someone to lend them a hand.
It could be the mum who needs someone to babysit her children while she runs out to settle some tasks. It could be participating in a soup kitchen to cook and distribute meals to the needy or it could simply be volunteering your time to spend a weekend morning with the elderly at the old folks’ home.
Whatever help that you render, always invite your children along and explain the reasons why you are giving your time to help others. Volunteering as a family is particularly useful because it shows your kids how much you value it. As the children get involved themselves, they will gradually understand the meaning behind the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.
6. Be a role model
How to raise a generous kid? Be a role model yourself.
Values are more often caught than taught. As parents, you have the responsibility and many opportunities in modelling what true generosity looks like on a daily basis.
It can mean giving your time to be engaged in activities with your children. It could also be moments when you go out of your way to help or share your resources with someone in need. When your children see you give with a cheerful heart, they will grow up doing likewise.
Read also: 8 Gift Ideas for Kids That Are Not Toys
It is always useful to have a discussion with your children on what it means to be generous even as you attempt to use these six ways to teach kids about giving.
Get them to talk about their feelings as they make their choice in sharing their resources with others. Affirm and encourage them as they give to others and be intentional in telling them that these are values that your family share.
Above all, be consistent in your words and actions as you commit yourselves to raise a generous kid.
