As a parent, it’s likely there are a lot of key life lessons you’ll want your children to understand – one being the importance of charity. Knowing how to broach this subject with your kids can be tricky, so if you’re stuck on where to start, keep reading. Below, you’ll find some useful tips and tricks you can use to teach your little ones about charitable causes and how they can get involved.
Encourage them to donate to a good cause
To help your little ones understand the importance of charity, you could start by encouraging them to donate to a good cause. You could explain that while they are surrounded by love and kindness every day, this is sadly not the case for a lot of people around the world – but there are ways that they can help, such as by giving to a charitable cause. However, you should always make sure that you’re giving your money to a good cause that’s going to genuinely help people. You may be thinking “should I sponsor a child?” and, while it is a lovely well-meaning thought, your money could well be spent better elsewhere in order to make a real difference to the world we live in.
So that your child understands the importance of giving to charity, you could encourage them to donate themselves. For example, you could suggest that they give some of their unwanted toys, books or clothes to a local charity shop. You could even encourage them to make a monetary contribution, explaining that by giving up a portion of their pocket money, they could help make a difference to someone in need. To ensure that they fully appreciate the value of giving, you could pick a cause that will resonate with them, such as a children’s charity project. For instance, Human Appeal supports a number of campaigns that are aimed at helping young people, including its education and orphanage funds.
Organise your own fundraising activity
To show your children a more hands on approach, you could organise your own fundraiser. There are many, many charities similar to this myocarditis charity that are looking for people to raise awareness about a cause through fundraisers and different events; you could reach out to any of them and see how you can go about organising an event. This should help your little ones understand that there is much more to charity than simply donating their money or belongings – but that it takes effort, time and dedication to raise funds and awareness for good causes.
There is an almost endless list of fun activities you could get stuck into in the name of charity. For example, you could enlist the help of your kids and get baking in the kitchen and then sell your homemade treats to friends and family. Another idea could be arranging your own sports or talent competition after school or at the weekend, selling tickets to raise funds for your chosen charity. If your kids are up for the challenge, you could even encourage them to take part in a sponsored silence. Pick a charity organization that you and your kids can relate with. For example, the idea to sponsor an orphan in Iraq through foundations such as Al Ayn could be one to talk about with your kids – they are more likely than anyone else to understand the pain that orphaned children go through, which means they may be more willing to help out.
Set a good example
There’s no denying that children often learn by example, so it’s crucial that as a parent, you are setting a good example for your brood. If you’re keen for them to understand and appreciate the importance of charity, you will need to ensure you’re demonstrating just that.
