How to Teach Your Children the Importance of Giving During the Holidays

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By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (4 Ratings)

While many people get caught up in the commercial aspect of the holidays, you can help your children understand the true meaning of giving this year.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Baskets
Canned Goods
Pies
Turkeys
Toys
Baskets

Step 1

Use the holidays to remind your children that there are others who are less fortunate than them.
Step 2

Ask your children to select some of the toys they no longer use to leave at the shelter for others.
Step 3

Help your children pick out new toys for kids in need.
Step 4

Let your children help wrap the gifts and decorate the packages.
Step 5

Suggest that your children put aside some of their allowance money to donate to a shelter or soup kitchen.
Step 6

Volunteer at a soup kitchen and bring your children along so they can see how nice it is to help others.
Step 7

Teach your children compassion by explaining the plight of others who don't have a roof over their heads or enough to eat.
Step 8

Suggest that your children go through their old clothes to see what they can give away to children who need them this season.
Step 9

Help your children collect canned goods to donate to a soup kitchen.

Comments

rtolmach said

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on 7/28/2007 Many of us don’t want another vase or picture frame. So why not a gift to change the world?

A new nonprofit website, http://www.ChangingThePresent.org lets you choose exactly what you want to accomplish: preserve an acre of the rainforest, provide books for children, fund an hour of cancer research, etc. There are thousands of donation opportunities from hundreds of leading nonprofits. You’re sure to find something that moves you.

Wish lists and registries let us share our passions with others and ensure the perfect gift. Beautiful, personalized greeting cards include a photo and description of the gift you gave.

ChangingThePresent.org is the website of a 501c3 nonprofit, so all of your money, less only a transaction fee of 3% and 30 cents to cover the credit card fee, goes to the nonprofit you choose to support.

http://www.ChangingThePresent.org

Anonymous said

on 11/22/2005 I've taken fruit baskets to the elderly. And I've been with a group that has caroled at a nursing home. But no gift was ever more appreciated than the hand made Christmas cards from children. My mother's friend was a teacher and she had her class make cards for the seniors. We delivered them with the baskets. You would have thought we'd have given them gold. There were many expressions of gratitude, joyful tears and hugs. We let the children know just what their cards meant to so many people.