Do you ever worry that you are raising selfish children? I don't think anyone does that on purpose, but not addressing the issue is easy to put off. What we want and the world needs is compassionate, caring people. In our current society, it is easy to cater to the wants and have-to-haves that come with our consumer driven economy, even in uncertain times.
It is obvious at holiday time, or times of catastrophy for us to give. We give money, objects, even blood to others. When we do this, we should make it teachable moments so that our children can learn from the examples we set. Even the youngest children understand cleaning out the toy chest to share with others. If you can remeber to do this at all times of the year, the example will be effective.
I know someone, who for years, sent a modest amount of money each month to India to help a child survive and get an education.Children of a certain age can relate to the letters sent back by these children.
If you look around your community, there are needs all the time. Churches, organizations, and people who need help. We need to lead the children and find a cause that fits our family. Then include the children if you feed the homeless, have a bake sale for someone in need, or even collect for the many national organizations that mount annual campaigns.
One of my earliest memories is the Christmas stamps that the Lung Association sent out for donations. They looked just right on the family cards and showed this little girl a way to help.
One modern day group, the Visitation Hospital Fund in Haiti was there before the devastating earthquake going about their mission of providing healthcare and education. www.VisitationHF@aol.com is just one of the worthy groups you might help. They have provided 16,000 people with pure,clean water. That is something children could learn about and appreciate.
Even at our lless prosperous, we have so much. Raise your kids to help, care, and act on their giving nature. The world awaits!
