As parents, we all want to raise our children to be charitable and kind humans. We want them to understand the value of giving and experience the sense of purpose and joy that giving brings.
At what age should we start engaging our kids into those conversations?
What would be the right approach to talk about charitable giving?
How to teach children about the less fortunate?
Always looking to nurture those little minds with big ideas, we would love to share with you some insights and tips on how to get children involved in charitable effort, no matter their age.
Be a Role Model: One simple way to introduce your children to philanthropy is to model charitable giving yourself, knowing that children frequently learn behaviours by observing their parents. Talk to your children about giving back. When you make a donation, explain to your child what you are doing and who it helps. The 3-5 year old age range is a great time to make lessons more concrete. It is at this age that kids begin to feel empathy, which is key when it comes to understanding the importance of charitable giving. Think of charity as a developmental milestone: Charity is a learned behaviour. It won’t be a one-time event, rather is a process in order to instil this culture of giving in your children. The developmental milestone of putting others before oneself is significant and can be a predictor of greater generosity, positivity, and perseverance later in life. Use positive reinforcement to teach kindness: Charity comes with built-in positive reinforcement: that warm fuzzy feeling you get from doing something kind.
Studies have shown that giving promotes happiness, even in young children. Make charity a visual activity: We are happy to support parents identify charities that will take outgrown shoes, pass them onto a child in need and share back the picture of a happy little face wearing shoes they have just receive.
“Donate your shoes; Every single pair will help draw a smile and give warmth to another little soul”
