Avid readers of my blog will know that I am a huge support of charities. I regularly shop there and often find some great hidden treasures at charity shops. I am also completely aware of how much light these organisations bring to the world and how by supporting them we can help change things. We can give money to cancer research to fight back against a disease that takes so many lives. We can donate our time to causes such as information on Ectopic Pregnancy. One in ninety pregnancies are ectopic, and by supporting charities that help mothers who have experienced this condition, we can help change that.
But as well as helping charities and donating yourself, it is worth teaching your kids about charity. They need to know that there are people in the world who need our help and that there are causes that need our support. So, how can you help your kids learn about charity?
Old Toys And Old Clothes
You probably already donate your old clothes to charity shops when you stop wearing them or perhaps when they fall out of style. It’s a good habit to get into because it frees up wardrobe space and helps others at the same time. You may want to encourage your kids to do the same. Kids grow out of toys or stop playing with them quite quickly, particularly at an early age. You’ll find that they spend a few months playing with a toy car before it ends up at the back of their wardrobe. But rather than letting it clog up space or hoarding these old items in the attic, why not encourage them to donate these toys. Let them know that there are kids out there that would appreciate them and try to let them reach the conclusion of giving their toys away by themselves. It’s a great way of introducing them to the concept of charity even at a young age.
Raising Money
Perhaps there is a cause that is near and dear to your heart. If your kids are slightly older, you can teach them about something like cancer research and tell them how raising money could help lead to new medical research. Then, it’s a matter of getting them to work as part of the project to raise money. There are lots of great possibilities here from a family bake sale where your kids help bake and sell the baked goods to a family run. Working together is a fantastic way to raise more money, and it’s something that you can do together as a family. Your kids will also be helping give something back to the world.
You might even let your kids raise their own money and donate it themselves. Just be careful about how much free reign you give them here. There’s a brilliant episode of Home Improvement where the two older boys raise money for charity and then decide to use some of it to buy gifts because they don’t grasp how important the money is for the children they’re raising it for. This could easily happen if the kids don’t fully grasp the importance of what they are doing.
Change.Org
You’ve probably seen various campaigns on Change.Org. You might have noticed that some have been started and run by kids, perhaps of a similar age to your own little ones. If you find your kid is passionate about a cause like animal cruelty. If so, why not show them something like Change.Org and help them set up their own campaign. If they need to raise money, you can get a sample donation letter from the-fund-raiser.com that they can use for their project. It’s a great way to give them the materials they need and then let them complete the work themselves. By the time they reach eleven or twelve, some children will be mature enough to handle something like this.
Help The Neighborhood
There are sure to be little things around the neighborhood that your kids can do to help others. Usually, kids get paid for doing little chores like helping elderly residents take care of their lawn by sweeping leaves. Or perhaps making cakes for service men and women who are part of the community. But they don’t have to be rewarded for actions like this. You can teach them that helping others is a reward enough and encourage them to continue this type of behavior well into their adult life.
Social Change
Social change charities, like The Belinda Stronach Foundation, focus on altering the social structure in ways that help specific groups of people. Usually, these are people who have been repressed for decades, if not centuries, based on specific characteristics. Race and gender are some of the more notable of these. Young people have often been the main drivers of social change, which is why it could be worth introducing your kids to help charities that actually affect this change.
I hope you take this advice and teach your kids about giving back to others.
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