3 Simple Ways To Teach Kids About the Importance of Giving Back
It’s so important for my husband and I to teach our boys that the world is so much bigger than our wants and needs. It’s so easy for our boys to become takers, rarely thinking about how they can serve and give back to others. We stress to the boys that we were placed here to be servants, and to do that it must mean you have a giving spirit with your time, money, and spirit.
We have been fortunate to have 3 boys that we are able to provide for and give the best life we ever could. To be honest, they are fortunate to live a life with tons of resources and material things. To keep our boys grounded we regularly serve and give back to the community.
Here are 3 Simple Ways that we Teach our Boys about the Importance of Giving Back:
Volunteering
This is one of the most humbling ways we teach our boys about the importance of giving back and be generous. This starts by simply giving away their time and helping an organization that is near and dear to our hearts. In addition to volunteering at local organizations, our oldest Cameron is also heavily involved in serving at our church in the children’s ministry.
I would recommend finding an organization that you have tied interest with or that focuses on something that you have a direct connection with. For me, my nephew is autistic, so it is very important for me to participate in the Autism Speaks organization.
You can visit the CultureMap Charity Guide to help you find organizations that are near you! This is a great family activity and makes such an impact.
Donations
My boys love when they get an allowance and always start planning a million and one things to do with their money. However, before the boys do anything with their money we stress to them they must tithe, save, and give back. We typically let the boys choose which organization to focus on for the quarter. Our boys love animals, so they often choose to donate to the Dallas Humane Society.
I suggest getting your kids in this habit if they receive a regular allowance. Even if they don’t receive one, be vocal about the contributions you make to organizations.
Giving Away Items
The moment I tell my boys it is time to give away items they instantly start telling me the items they want to keep. This is exactly why we regularly give items away. We are so blessed to have more than we could ever need. We stress to our boys that they have an abundance and they must be generous and help others that are less fortunate than them. Now my boys know that we regularly find items to give away to a local organization or even if it is a family we may know in need.
I was excited to have the opportunity to work with Frost Bank to share more about generosity and how we teach our boys about the importance of giving back.
Taryn! This was on point!!!! I instill these same values in my kiddos! You definitely motivated me to keep going! It’s so important to we pass on these things to our children. We have a bi weekly food bank at our church that I take our kiddos to do that we are able to serve and give back to the community! I’m so thankful for that. I’m going to find a local organization that we can take some items to as well! I loved this blog post!!! Thanks for sharing this!