This post is brought to you by the awesome people at Schoola. Which is by far the best place to buy discounted kids clothes all while give back to schools in need. You can click here to learn more about Schoola, and click here to see what people are saying about them. I’m sure you’re going to like them as much as we do, becasue they care about kids, charity, the schools, and helping those in need.
Teaching kids about charity, and the importance of helping those in need shouldn’t be hard, becasue it’s such a rewarding experience. Kids are born with a sense of compassion, it’s easy to lose sight of this wonderful trait, but parents can also help feed their sense of compassion, and willingness to help others.
On the first day of Tuesday-Thursday, school last year my youngest daughter, Mattie wanted so bad to hug little girl who was crying because her mom left her. As a mother, I don’t want my children to lose their sense to want to help others, because something I learned later in life is, there is nothing better in the world than knowing you have helped someone or made a difference in someone’s life. You don’t even have to see the difference, just knowing gives you such an amazing feeling. It’s better than any gift I have received.
14 Tips to Teach Kids About Charity & Helping Those In Need
Since children naturally want to help, it’s easy to keep them on the road of giving. Sure you might have to steer them back a few times, but as they get older they will understand what donating, and giving is from a different light.
Experience it – Most people think charity is giving money, but it’s so much more than that. Sure money helps, but so does time, and giving items. Letting your children experience a giving, and charity first hands lets them understand it from a different point of view – feeling. It feels good to help people, and they will understand that charity isn’t necessarily giving money away, but helping someone in need.
We try to help a lot in our community, but something that has the biggest impact on my children is the holidays. Ever Christmas my kids give up two gifts, which isn’t a lot, but for a kid two gifts is two gifts. Rather than buying those gifts and them actually giving them to me, we use the money that would have been spent on their gifts, and help a family in need. We shoot for a family with four children, around the same age as ours. Once we explained everything to the kids, and they were able to pick out gifts they liked for someone who might not have received anything had they not been willing to give up two gifts, they understood everything from a different angle.
I tell them all the time, it’s because of them some other children are receiving gifts. It’s because they were willing to give up two gifts those children’s parents can be happy watching their children open gifts on Christmas Day.
One year we even did without gifts, and it was all the kids ideas. They all agreed they wanted to help a family each, and do without, because they also understand Christmas is not about the gifts, but more about being with family, and helping others. I cried that year, because it filled my heart with this feeling I to this day cannot explain. I saw a 4, 7, and 11-year-old give up gifts to help other kids. It truly doesn’t get better than that.
Help the elderly or spend time helping someone who is handicap – It will give you a whole new outlook on life. You see someone who isn’t aboe to do everything we can do, yet they smile every single day, and will give you the shirt off their back.
I also think my children tend to see things like this a little differently becasue their brother is handicap. They have grown up watching him struggle, or not be able to do things they don’t think twice about. Seeing what their brother deals with on a daily basis helps them respect, and understand things differently than I did growing up. I wish my son was able to walk and talk like all the other kids, but he is the coolest guy I know, and the only boy who has ever changed everyone he meets. I can honestly say my kids I have changed competely, the way I look at life has changed, and I have realized a lot becasue of Bud, and I know he’s helped bring the good out in all of us.
Help Animals Too – We are huge animal lovers, and I also wanted my children to understand that it’s not just people who need help. There are beautiful, sweet animals who need a lending hand. My oldest daughter still volunteers at our local animal shelter when she is able.
Lead by example – Like everything else in life, if you want your children to do it, you must lead the way. Children know what they see, and they learn from their parents.
Cleaning the community – We also focus on keeping the city clean. We don’t always have time to visit the park and pick up trash, but during the summer months we try to go at least once a month to help clean up somewhere in our town. We normally end up at the park, because I let the kids play when we are finished.
Donation program – Around the holidays we take part in several donation programs. We also get involved during the summer, but some of the kids favorite are the secret Santa programs, adopt a family, toys for tots, and the Thanksgiving food drive. We donate a certain amount of food, and help deliver 10 to 20 meals to families the day before Thanksgiving. You can also donate to early detection pancreatic cancer groups, heart disease charities and so many more that are providing ground breaking research on these illnesses affecting millions.
Donate unused items – If your children don’t use something anymore, or have grown out of it, show them how to donate it. Whether it’s a pair of shoes that no longer fit, or those toys that have sat in their closet for months, help your child donate them.
Show them – We had to show one of our children what it was like to need something and not have it. If children have everything they need, it can be hard for them to fully understand what it’s like to go without. Sometimes it’s good to show them, which can also go for adults.
Communication – Like with any relationship communication is key. Be sure to talk to your children about donating, and helping others. Explain to them how it makes you feel, and why. Tell them that their actions do, and exactly how they can help people. Sometimes if we don’t see things it’s hard to understand them, but if you to explain things, or ask your child how they feel about things you can overcome this.
Reward – You don’t have to go out and buy something. Simply tell you kids you are proud of them, explain to them that their kind act just did, and how it likely helps someone. The true reward of giving should be giving itself and knowing their parents are proud of them for their actions.
Help people – If you see someone who need help with something, help them. This is a habit around our house, and just the way things are. My kids are awesome, if they see an elderly person in the store drop something they will run over and pick it up, or they will help put their groceries in their car. If they notice they can do something to help, I don’t have to tell them anything they do it on their own. My oldest daughter learned by watching my husband and I do it, and the younger kids learned from watching the older kids. It really does start with mom and dad.
Finding what your child likes – Kids need something that keeps their attention. In my opinion, it’s best to find things that your children are interested in. They will be more willing to learn about the programs, and get more involved. There are tons of ways to get involved and make a difference, and it’s important we teach our children that they do matter, and their actions can and do make a difference.
How valuable their time is to others – Get your child involved in something that only requires their time. It’s a great way for them to witness the impact a little of their time can have. We try to help build HUD homes in our community. It’s great because a few months later my kids will see the home while we are driving by, and someone living in it. At that point they realize that bit of time they donates, helps give another family a home.
Be sure they understand – Be sure your children know that hard times can happen to anyone.
Kids need to work for things – We make our children work for everything, even their cool brand name school cloths. It’s important to us our children understand what it takes to earn a dollar, and save money to get yourself something. We want them to know money doesn’t come easy, becasue it will not only help them in their older years, but they are also more understanding to other people situations, becasue they know what it takes to save up and buy a bike, and understand a car payment, or house payment is MUCH more than that. It’s hard to understand money, unless you earn it, and spend it.
Help Schoola Help The School of Your Choice
The awesome people from Schoola want to give our readers a 20% discount for shopping, but this isn’t normal shopping. It’s shopping which will help to raise money for your school of choice, and for every transition from Jenns Blah Blah Blog, Schoola donates $1 to our school of choice. It’s an awesome opportunity to get the things you need, save some money, use the discount code to save more money, and help a school!
At Schoola.com you’ll find great brands, like: Adidas, Disney, Baby Gap, Levi’s, Nike, OshKosh B’Gosh, Ralph Lauren, and tons more. It’s hard to explain just how awesome Schoola is, because what they do is amazing. They help schools get the things they need to help our children get the best learning experience they can. Thank goodness for places like Schoola. Now we just have to do our part, and buy affordable, VERY affordable, good children’s clothing from them, so they can help the schools.
Visit Schoola and use code BacktoSchoola20, and expires on August 20, 2014. There is limit of 1 per customer, but Schoola has some great children’s clothing, at awesome prices. I ordered my daughter a super cute pair of pants, shirt, and some boots for under $20. I cannot wait for them to get here, because she is going to flip out over the boots.
Plus, Schoola has made things not only easy and meaningful, but convenient too. Now you can shop the way you like to shop. Whether it’s online from your PC, or using their app while you are visiting a friend, Schoola has made shopping rewarding for both you and the school of your choice, as well as easy and convenient. Plus, you can save up to 90% on brand name kids clothing. I love that, becasue kids grow so fast, I just don’t have it in me to spend $50 on a pair of jeans that my kids might wear for a few months. By the time they grow out of them they have only been worn a few times. Oh, which reminds me you can also donate your lightly used kids clothing to Schoola.
Getting the things you need at a super affordable price, and donating to your school of choice – what’s not to love!
