Charity is a learned behavior,” says Aaron Hanson, Director of Development at Shriners for Children Medical Center. “The developmental milestone of putting others before oneself is significant and can be a predictor of greater generosity, positivity, perseverance, and altruism later in life.”
Nurturing generosity develops the spirit of giving and promotes the feeling of happiness when giving to help others. “The positive reinforcement a child receives when giving is an integral factor in the cognitive-behavioral connection that children need to become healthy, caring adults,” says Hanson.
Teaching the skill sets of generosity and empathy is a great gift to give your children. Don’t let money be a detriment, use it to teach them how to budget and include charitable giving as part of their budget. Let’s say they earn $5.00. What percentage should go to helping others? Before you decide that, help them comprehend what charity giving is all about.
- Talk about what a charity is and the different types of charities there are available in your community
- Share your interests and how and why you give
- Allow your child to discover what mission they are interested in: Is it homelessness, hunger, literacy, health, research? Would they want to help children, animals, the elderly?
- Google the charities that would be of interest that are in your area to learn more about who they serve and what they do
- Make an appointment to tour some charities
- Brainstorm ways to make an impact
- Come up with ideas to raise funds to help
- Give time by volunteering at a charity
- Don’t push too hard to give, let your child decide after getting involved and being informed
- Meet as a family once a week to talk about who you impacted and how that felt. Staying connected with the charity will make a big difference in keeping your child engaged
