Teaching Generosity this Holiday Season

Between the Black Thursday, Friday, Saturday shopping rush and the ripping open of presents on Christmas day, it can be easy for Children to see that the holiday season is all about presents. How do we teach our children that Hanukkah, Christmas and other holiday celebrations are also a time to show generosity?

However your family celebrates the season, there are many ways to celebrate generosity.
One of the best ways to do this is by practicing this virtue ourselves and involving our children in the process. I like to involve my daughter as much as possible so she can see that Christmas isn't just about the presents she will be receiving, but also about giving to others, spending time with family and  participating in our family celebrations.  In the past we've given gifts to teenagers at local children’s home. These kids usually don’t have a place to go for the holidays or receive presents outside of the staff, so we have supplied the home with games, movies and candy and gave more practical gifts of hygiene products and clothing to the individual children.  During the process of shopping for these items I had my daughter pick out items she thought they needed and talked to her about why we were giving these gifts. She also helped me wrap them up for delivery and I could see the joy in her eyes of giving to others less fortunate. Last year she even came downstairs with her arms full of toys of her own to wrap up.

By participating in thoughtful activities that help teach children about generosity and respect for others, we show them firsthand what the holiday spirit is all about. At Primrose, the children are taught this year round with their Helping Hands program. Helping Hands is a wonderful opportunity where children participate in community awareness through donations, volunteerism and citizenship.  “Generosity” is the character trait focus during the month of December. We can easily promote this trait at home, too. One simple way is to prompt children to think about others by asking open-ended questions. Perhaps when your child points out a toy they want for Christmas, you could ask such questions as:  “If you could give Santa Claus a gift, what would it be and why?” or “What’s your favorite thing to do during the holidays?”. Once you've started talking about these things, you can plan meaningful holiday activities that incorporate your child’s ideas to further interest them in participating with you. Whether you choose to give to other children less fortunate or to help an elderly neighbor decorate for Christmas, we can teach children the joy of giving though any small or big act during the holiday season.

  Ideas you can participate in at home to teach generosity:

• Shovel a neighbor’s driveway when it snows.

• Have your child make a “grateful” list instead of a wish list.

• Have your child do chores for money to buy a gift for a person of their choosing.

• Donate food or volunteer to serve a meal at a local soup kitchen.

• Take donations to a local animal shelter.

• Read to or take Christmas cards to the elderly at a local nursing home.

• Bake cookies for community helpers or a non-profit organization that helps the needy.

• Clean out the toy box and choose toys to be donated.

 At Primrose, students have already embraced the generous spirit of the season in a number of ways. A few of the children’s favorites include our recent sponsorship of the 9Cares Colorado Shares canned food drive and their current helping hands Winter Coat Drive for Denver Children's Home. Please feel free to drop by Primrose School of Thornton, Stapleton or Reunion to make your donation this holiday season.

If you are looking for a quick  and easy way to kick start your giving this season, just “Click to Like” on Primrose School’s facebook page and they will donate one canned food item to Feeding America during their virtual canned food drive. Primrose School of Thornton, Stapleton and Reunion will be running a similar campaign this month to donate to local charities as well, so “Like Us” on Facebook and keep an eye out for this simple way to give back! (Stapleton Facebook, Thornton Facebook, Reunion Facebook).

This year my daughter  has chosen to give gifts to another 9 year old boy she found listed on a hope tree and we also decided as a family to bake cookies for the NICU nurses that took such good care of our baby Alex when he was born.  Please comment on this post to share with us how you will be teaching your children about generosity this year. 

Check back on Friday for “Friday Home Fun” activities that include projects on Generosity and next week will be all about "Traveling With the Small Child".