Teaching Children About Giving to Charity
Kids Learn Financial Planning, Generosity and Compassion by Giving
Dec 12, 2008 Michelle Carchrae
During the holiday season, many people think about making charitable donations to non-profit organizations locally and overseas. By helping children get involved in charitable giving and showing them how you choose to donate your own resources of time and money, kids can learn about wise money management, the pleasure of giving to others and compassion for those who are suffering. Here's some ideas to help you teach children about giving to charity.
Talk to Children About Money
If a child has no understanding of where money comes from other than seeing you put your bank card into the ATM and get a handful of cash in return, it will be difficult for them to understand the concept of giving to those in need. After all, if it is as easy as walking up to an ATM, everyone should have plenty of money, right?
By helping a child understand that money comes from a combination of hard work, education, birth and a person's individual talents he will be better able to understand how some people can have more money than they need and others don't have enough to buy food or pay for housing. When children receive an allowance that is dependent on good behavior and participation in household chores they will be able to see personally how the amount of money they receive depends on what they do, and they will also have some money of their own to save, spend or give to charity.
Let Your Children See You Giving to Charity
Sometimes it is hard for children to recognize your actions as a donation, especially if you choose to donate by writing a check or giving your credit card number over the phone. Children, especially young children, live in the present moment, so try to show them tangible ways of helping others such as volunteering together in a soup kitchen, giving food or vouchers to homeless people, taking groceries to the food bank or putting money in the Salvation Army kettle or church collection plate.
How to Help Children Donate Money or Volunteer Time
For older children who are earning an allowance and want to donate some of their earnings to a charity, sit down with them and talk about the issues they believe need their support. Do they want to send money to children in Africa, or are they more concerned about environmental issues?
Once they have decided where they want to donate their money, you'll probably need to help them get their money there, either by driving to a local charity to donate cash in person or going to the bank and changing their cash for a cheque to be sent in the mail. After they have made their donation, talk to them about how they think their money might be spent and who or what will benefit from it. Children can also give their time by volunteering, alone or with a parent, depending on their age. Kids can volunteer by helping walk dogs at a local animal shelter, visiting seniors at a care home or picking up garbage in your neighbourhood.
Teaching children about charitable giving involves modeling generous behavior yourself and providing them with the money and opportunity to donate to charity themselves. Whether your children choose to donate cash to a homeless shelter or volunteer to participate in a beach clean up, by helping them give to charity you are teaching them about money and the pleasure of sharing with others.
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