Many of us donate our money, time and belongings to good causes every year, and it’s the least we can do for those who are less fortunate than us. But after my daughter started attending pre-school, I realized that the importance of giving needs to be ingrained in a child at an early age.
My two-year-old daughter goes to a pre-school, where they teach children about giving from a tender age of two. In their first semester, the teachers asked the students to bring in loose change from home to donate. The children dropped the coins into a jar that was placed outside their classroom. On that project, the school partnered with Heifer International, a global nonprofit organization that works towards ending world hunger and poverty. My daughter’s pre-school is a small one but together they collected $386, which they used to purchase treadle pumps, tree seedlings, a goat and a flock of chicks for communities in need.
The school also organized their annual harvest food drive last September. The children were asked to bring in non-perishable food items from home. The food items were later given to the state food bank. This project was part of teaching the young children about helping people who are not as fortunate as us to enjoy three meals a day.
This semester, my child has taken a gently used book of hers to school for donation. Her books are her favorite possessions, and it was the first time she parted with a favorite possession of hers. She was a little upset about giving the book away, but her sad face was replaced with a smile when I explained to her how her book would make another child happy.
I believe children learn about kindness through acts of giving. If your child’s school does not undertake similar projects, you yourself can teach your child about empathy at home. As a matter of fact, children’s first lesson on giving should begin at home. When you donate clothes, shoes, food or anything else to someone less fortunate, let your child be around. It is even better if you let your child give away his/her own old toys, books, clothes and shoes to other children.
You can be your child’s role model by participating in community service at least once a month. If possible, take your child along so that he or she knows about the importance of voluntary work for the common good.
Together, we can create a generation of children, who understand the significance of loving, giving and sharing in daily life.
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