10 Ideas to teach children the Joy of Giving

In the competitive and self-centered society that we live in today, raising conscious, caring, and selfless individuals becomes a necessity. Every parent should responsibly commit to it. But how do you teach children to find as much joy in giving as in receiving? Well, a big part of this is achieved by teaching them the right values. Here, we present you a series of activities you can engage in with your kids -as well as some tips- to help bolster traits such as Solidarity and Generosity.

Teaching by Example

There is not a better way for children to learn and develop positive traits than by watching us put into practice what we demand from them. Let kids know you care about the other members of your community, be proactive! But more importantly, express solidarity towards your peers. Remember, children are like sponges, absorbing, then replicating behavioral traits -good or bad-. Give them some good models to start copying from.

Time is a present

From an early age, kids must be taught that sharing and giving are two intrinsically related aspects of conscious time management. As attention-demanding as they are, children also need to understand that their parents have many other things to focus on and cannot be available for them 24/7. Once learned this, they can choose to give some of their own time into helping others, no matter if it is their mom, a schoolmate, or a neighbor. Or at least, they’ll learn the value of respecting others’ time when necessary.

Money Issues

We should also instill in kids the importance of consciously using money. This, of course, involves spending, saving, and also sharing with those in need.

Let’s say your children receive a monthly allowance of 20$. A useful way of teaching the concept of sharing could be committing 2$ of said allowance to a charity they choose. And then perhaps taking him to meet the people that charity helps, or at least show them their website, so they see the effect of that small action.

This way, aside from learning not to take for granted everything that they have and learning about other people’s struggles, children become more socially-aware and empathic individuals.

Giving should be a Daily Practice!

It does not need to be Christmas or someone’s birthday to express joy in the practice of selflessly giving something. Also, gifts are not only those things you can buy. There are infinite ways of giving in our everyday life. Be it by lending a helping hand, sharing a chocolate bar, or just by being there for someone.

The objective here is to reach a level in which the act of giving becomes more of a subconscious action, almost a reflex, and not something that children feel as imposed or premeditated.

Teach them to be Grateful

Gratitude is one of the most precious things we can give, but what’s even more valuable is to instill this in our children by recognizing the labor of everyone around us. Teachers, Doctors, Firefighters, Sanitation Workers all contribute to the well-being of our community, and, as such, their contribution must be acknowledged by everyone.  Stop by and chat with them, let children express what inquiries they might have about their jobs, or even present them with a small gift (a drawing or some cookies).