Easy Ways to Teach Your Kids to be Charitable

In this fast-paced, dynamic world today, people seem to be lacking a moral sense of judgment and action. This is no one-day realization but a value system instead that should be inculcated in the individuals right from their formative years and practiced throughout. Little kids are very impressionable and hence it would be sensible and relatively easier to instill such values within them right at that age. Feeling of compassion, value of generosity and realization of sharing can all come forth from the practice of doing charity.

However, introducing kids to charitable giving and giving back to society can be a pretty tough task. Kids may ask you questions like why a homeless person doesn’t get a job instead of relying on handouts or why he should give away his toys and clothes to needy kids. However, introducing kids to charity is really not that hard but it does take some persistence and dedication on part of parents as well. Here are some handy ways in which you can introduce your children to charity and the spirit of giving molding their future and helping them become better individuals of the society contributing more to the same.
It is important to remember that Charity is not for others, It’s for you.

Easy ways to teach your kids to be charitable:

Charitable contributions on birthdays

One of the best ways to teach kids to be charitable is to establish a birthday routine where they can ask the guests attending birthday parties to contribute to a chosen charity instead of bringing presents or use donation cards as party favors. If you feel like you cannot take the fun out of birthday gifts and party favors for the kids, take them to orphanages, homeless shelters, or offices of charities and make it the venue of their birthday celebration and let the kids hand out gifts and donation cards to the members of charity thus letting them experience the joy of sharing.

Visit soup kitchens, orphanages, etc.

Children learn a lot from their environment. You may read them all the story books in the world emphasizing the importance of charity, but they will never be moved to action unless you show them where their donations and efforts are being used. Bring your children to soup kitchen, orphanages, homeless shelters, old age homes and animal shelters etc. and let them interact with the staff and the needy to understand the need for donations. Also, they can make contributions there, helping out and learning with experience.

Help for elders and those in need

In the good old days, helping elders and people in need was a part of one’s good manners. Since that etiquette has all but vanished in the hyper-competitive modern age, it might be worth your while to teach your kids to be helpful to the elderly and others in need by asking them to help with an elderly neighbor’s lawn or grocery shopping etc. to get them to become more proactive in society and generate the feeling of compassion within them.

Community events

Community events supporting charitable causes are another great way to introduce children to the concept of helping people in need. Since these events bring together a lot of like-minded people as well as people genuinely in need, your child would be able to understand how donations work and how people with the right resources can help people in difficult situations.`

Introduce children to disaster sites

Most people like their kids to lead sheltered and protected lives. However, if you want your child to grow up into a conscientious adult, introducing them disaster sites could be a great way to teach them the importance of donations and charitable work. Ensure that a disaster strike is safe for the child to visit and isn’t too traumatic. Constantly keep talking to them about how they can help people affected by that particular disaster.

Make a donation box

Develop a habit in your kid to keep aside some part of their pocket money for saving. Once they understand the need to save, they could be guided to keep aside some of it for the charity that could be practiced once a week or a month, depending on the amount of pocket money. Encourage them to learn more about those organizations where there are people who are in need of such endowments more than them and they can then begin to appreciate the some and devise more ways to spread awareness regarding and help such people.

Be a role model

As the best way to learn is from experience and kids understand better on observing, it is better to guide the way by aligning yourself in the same way and directing yourself on the same lines. Let your kid see you do these things that u want him to do. Tag him along with you to all your attempts of charity. Say if you are going to donate blood, take him with you. or sort your wardrobe first to discard all those clothes which you no longer wear or no longer desire to. He will follow in your footsteps and sort his clothes too and also minimize expenditure on those things which he does not really want. It solves both purposes- avoiding wastage and contributing to the society.

A rather satisfactory feeling that follows when you help others or a charity is done or donations made for that matter, all help you become a better person, contributing positively to the world. This realization, this fulfilling feeling is all you need your kids to feel and this would help them limit their desires in this materialized world of today. After a day of putting themselves through rigorous working hours in school, draining themselves of their energy physically as well as mentally, putting a smile on someone else’s face can be a very refreshing experience, energizing their souls and helping them feel lively thus molding their futures in a positive way.