Teaching children the concept of charity and giving can start early. By simple talks you can instill in a child the responsibility to look after those less fortunate. Parents can over think this but by talking simply to a child you can introduce the concepts to them.
Talk to Them at Their Level
You can talk to your child in age appropriate levels to help start the idea of helping people out. Simple lessons about a character with a specific problem like being hungry or tired can be told. Ask your child what they would do to help the character. The most common answer is the buy them something. At this point tell them the character just can’t afford it. Follow this up quickly with an upbeat way of saying they can help out by raising funds for the character.
The basic concept of this is to guide the child along and help them understand that they can be a part of helping someone else.
Guiding a Group of Kids through a Charitable Project
Kids can learn charity, responsibility and teamwork by putting together their own fundraising project. Picking an age appropriate activity is essential. Let your kids pick something they want to do for community service or a fundraising activity. They can pick something from visiting children in a hospital or baking for seniors to choosing an appropriate fundraising activity. This activity can be anything from selling old clothes out of their closet to getting together with classmates and friends to raise money for a campaign they’ve picked.
With any kind of selling situation it’s always suggested that a child be followed by an adult. Coach your child and practice what to say to represent their charities. If they are determined they can add a lot of enthusiasm to their campaign just based on their age.
Not only does supervising a child or teen while they put on a fundraising campaign help them understand charity and the effort required but helps them learn to talk in front of others. Other skill sets they learn are how to follow instructions carefully, record keeping and time management.
Reward Their Efforts
If possible reward kids for the efforts. Take the kids to show them what their fundraising has changed. Show them the park they helped clean up, show photographs of people they have helped support. Whatever way is possible to uplift kids for a job well done.