We’re always reminded about the importance of teaching our children the difference between right and wrong, from an early age, but this extends to far more than just telling them off for misbehaving or praising them for doing well at school. Instead, it should also include promoting positive traits like kindness and generosity, as these will all help to shape your child’s future in a helpful and meaningful way.
Charity has the ability to help you, your loved ones, and strangers both in your local community and further across the world. It’s a way to effectively promote equality and compassion while making a real, tangible difference to someone else’s daily life. Now, if that’s not a good enough reason to be more charitable, then what is!
One of the best ways to get children interested in charity is to tackle giving together as a family. Whether it is just you and your child, your wider family or even getting friends involved, working together is undeniably a great way to promote a better future for the next generation.
So, why exactly should you participate in charity together as a family?
- Children learn by example – if your child regularly sees you helping others, the chances are that they will want to follow your lead and do as you do
- Giving strengthens family values – if you are always telling your child about the importance of certain values, this is a great opportunity to turn your words into actions
- It’s fun! Being generous needn’t be a chore; instead, make it a chance to engage in creative, messy play and have fun with your ideas – after all, no idea is a bad idea!
- Charity reinforces family bonds – by setting aside a dedicated period of time to work on your latest family charity project or idea, you’re spending quality time together as a family
- Generosity has a knock-on effect – when those around you start to notice what you are all doing for a good cause, the chances are that it won’t be long before they want to join in, too!
Of course, these are just a few of the many reasons why generosity is so good for you and your family. The beauty of charity is that it can be approached and tackled in so many different ways – it’s the perfect opportunity to get creative and let your imaginations run wild!
However, if you do need some help getting your newfound generosity kick-started, here are some great ideas:
- Bake sale – because who doesn’t love a delicious homemade cake?
- Charity car wash – always a popular option because you’ll be providing a valuable service guaranteed to get members of the public donating
- Quiz night – a family-friendly quiz is sure to get team’s feeling competitive as they work to secure that coveted first place!
- Guessing games – guess the name of the teddy bear, guess how many sweets are in the jar, guess the celebrity from their baby photo… these are all classic ways to get people involved
- Sport – whether it’s a charity football match or even a mini Olympic games, sport and fundraising have always gone hand in hand
Of course, it’s all well and good resolving to become more generous, but the reality is that the work you do will have a very real impact on the lives of other people. Just a small act of kindness could mean a positive change for the better for someone most in need, whether they are close to home or further afield. So, whether you choose to help the homeless in your own town or send your support to the Burmese Rohingya, you can be certain that your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Giving your child a head-start on charity is sure to set them up to become a more generous, compassionate person as they grow older – and what better way to go about this than by spending quality time together as a family?
*This is a contributed post