Kids generally have the tendency to show kindness and generosity, so now is the time to nurture those qualities.
By teaching them the importance of giving back, you are making a social impact by helping those in need and building lifelong habits that will ensure your child’s mental well-being.
There are various reasons to engage your children in charity and in this article, we will have a look at them and give you some tips on how to actually do it successfully.
The benefits of Teaching Children to be Charitable
Although kids are naturally inclined towards kindness and generosity, they can also be extremely selfish. This is something normal but you can change things by helping them nurture compassion and kindness while participating in charity work in one way or another.
Such activities will develop various positive characteristics in your kid, including responsibility, patience, generosity, optimism, honesty, and many more. They will also learn to value the things they have and feel gratitude for what others do for them too.
Another great benefit of engaging them in charity is the fact that they will grow up feeling like a part of a community, which is quite important for mental health. Forming bonds and helping others also builds self-confidence, which is another essential element of mental health.
Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of teaching your children the importance of charity, let’s look at some effective ways to engage them in such activities.
Set an Example
The first thing to teach your child anything at all is to become a role model. No matter what you tell your children, they will always be looking up to you and imitating you.
Each time you pass a charity box and donate money, your kid sees that and it leaves a long-lasting impression.
For kids, their parents are heroes, so you really need to show your kid that giving is a good thing. Remember to not only demonstrate but also talk about it, so that the kid better understands the situation.
Make it a Tradition
You can make charity a tradition by giving to a certain cause each year during the Holiday seasons, and your kids will be looking forward to it.
You can also make it a tradition that each year around Christmas your children gather clothes, toys, and items that they are not using, and donate them to children in need. That will teach them compassion and generosity, as well as an appreciation for what they have.
Engage them in Activities
Doing something together with their parents is always enjoyable for children. Find different charity activities to engage them in, such as preparing food for those in need, or baking cupcakes for a charity event.
It is also a lot easier for children to be involved in an activity, rather than save and donate money, and the result is visible much faster.
There are various fun activities organized by charity organizations too, which will make you kids feel like they are part of something bigger.
Go to Fundraising Events
Fundraising events could be quite fun for children because they will get to meet a lot of new friends while participating together in activities that make the world a better place. That will teach them that there are many other children that take interest in charity, which will increase their motivation on the subject.
Charity events are also an occasion to bond with your children and spend quality time together.
As your children grow older, encourage them to take part in various volunteering activities too, like spending time helping in animal or homeless shelters, nursing homes, etc.
Let them Choose Causes
Children love having the option to choose. Show them various charity causes and let them choose for themselves which ones they most want to participate in.
Show them that their opinion matters and that their needs and desires are going to be met. Letting children do something by their own will is much better than trying to enforce an activity on them. That way you are making sure that they will be taking the initiative themselves.
Introduce your kids to charity causes and activities that are suitable for their age and let them decide where they want to donate their toys or saved money.
Teach them Spend, Share, and Save Effectively
Teaching children the value of money is important for their development and their growing into functional adults. Teach them how to keep a good balance between what they save and what they spend, and let them know that they can also set aside a portion of money for donations.
Label three boxes or jars – one for spending, one for savings, and one for donations.
Kids feel good as the amount of saved money is growing and they love having a choice where to direct their savings.