In a society that revolves around never being satisfied, the concept of teaching our children to desire to give seems incredibly foreign. Before we can teach our children to want to give, or even to be willing to give, we must first guide them into a state of contentment. Satisfied seems to be a severely underused word in the American-English language. However, there are a couple simple but important steps we can all take to change our focus from getting to giving.

Ways to Teach Thankfulness

1. Thanksgiving Tree. Perfect for this time of year, this activity is sure to promote thankfulness for the things we already possess. Make a tree trunk from brown construction paper or whatever you may have on hand. Then each day, from now until the end of the holiday season, have each person {adult and child alike} write on a leaf-shaped piece of paper a blessing or possession for which they are thankful, and watch the tree of blessings fill up!
2. Dinner-Time Thanks-giving. A super simple way to remind your children daily of how blessed they truly are is to have a Dinner-Time Thanks-giving discussion. Each night at dinner, take turns having each person tell one thing for which they are thankful. You can take this opportunity to lovingly remind your family there are others around the world without such blessings.

Make Giving a Family Affair

Encouraging our children to be grateful for what we have seems to only magnify their desire to share with others. Present a number of giving opportunities to your children, and simply encourage their desires to give in their own ways. Remember – you want your children to give from their hearts, and not from a feeling of expectations. Don’t be afraid to involve yourself and your spouse as well! After all, modeling behavior is the best teaching tool!

Family-Friendly Ways to Give

1. Participate in the 30 Day Giving Challenge. This challenge involves a simple task of giving every day for one month. The gift does not have to be big, and can be the gift of time, just as much as of money.
2. Find local charities your whole family can be involved in. Most areas have homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food and blanket drives, etc., and the list tends to grow during the holiday season.
3. Sponsor a child. Whether it be through Compassion International or World Vision or another similar organization, allowing your family to choose a child to sponsor can be invaluable! Through updates and letters, your children will be able to witness their giving at work in the life of the child you sponsor!
4. Donate to local charities. Our family collects a “Give Before We Get Box“ each year, and we ask our children to choose which local charity it goes to. This is their gift – the receipt for the donation is in their names, and they choose what goes in the box, as well as where the box goes when it is done.

Giving is great, but giving from the heart is even better! Enjoy this holiday season!

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