DONATING – TEACHING YOUR KIDS TO SHARE

Christmas should be about more than “how many gifts am I going to get”. Christmas should be about family and friends. Not “things”.

That said, we all like to get gifts. Especially the children. But how much “stuff” does one person really need?

It is fun to open presents, especially when you get the new sweater or new toy that you’ve been wishing for. But how many sweaters do you really need? And how many games can you play with at once?

When my daughter was very young we started the tradition of “sharing” her toys. We would go through all of her toys at the beginning of December and decide which ones she really played with and which ones she really didn’t. Then we would decide which ones she wanted to “share” with other children whose parents couldn’t afford toys.

It is really important that you make your child understand the “importance” of sharing. Of giving. But, it has to be “their” idea. It’s not an easy concept for kids to understand. Especially once they realize that you are “taking” their toys away.

My daughter thought it was a great idea. At first. Until I took the bag filled with toys, which she picked out herself and tried to leave the room. Then she cried. I had to sit down with her and explain that not everyone has extra money to buy their kids toys at Christmas and that by her sharing her toys….toys she didn’t play with anyway and that she had outgrown…she was making another child happy.

Once she really understood that she had control over what and how much she gave away she was happy. And every year after that she knew that at the beginning of December she would start putting together a bag or two of toys that would make a difference in another child’s life. And a “sharing” tradition was born.

There are many group homes, children’s organizations and churches that accept donations around the holidays. Find one and start your own “sharing” tradition.

By starting when your child is young you can teach them a lesson that they will remember the rest of their lives and hopefully pass on to their children.

And you will have a more organized and less cluttered house and a tax deduction.

Happy Holidays !


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