Tis the season to think about charitable donations, at least if you plan to deduct them on taxes, but giving monetary gifts is definitely not the only way to be generous. We try to focus on giving our children experiences as gifts as much as possible (though they still do get physical gifts too).
I was especially looking for ways to give my children experiences of showing generosity and thinking of tangible ways they could be generous. Since children don’t have a lot of money to donate, I want to provide a more personal experience than just sending money to a charity can provide.
Why Experiencing Generosity Matters
I recently read this article about how we are much more likely to help an individual than we are to respond to a large group or more general need:
The paper angel in my daughter’s hand read, “Girl, age 6. Wants: Undershirts.” The angel in my son’s hand read, “Boy, age 7. Likes: Dinosaurs.” My lectures about faraway starving children had previously fallen on deaf ears, but on that December day, my kids, then age 5 and 8, eagerly dashed around the store to find just the right gifts. “I think she’ll like these! They have princesses on them!” “Can I get him a sweatshirt, too? I don’t want him to be cold!”
Of course, it wasn’t my fabulous parenting that finally got them thinking. It was what behavioral scientists call the “identifiable victim effect” — the human tendency to respond more empathetically to the plight of a single individual, rather than a large group.
The rest of that article goes on to give other tips on how to raise less entitled kids, but a key takeaway is that it is important to model generosity in a personal and relatable way so that our children see it at a young age.
Sadly, only about half of Americans donate to any charity or non-profit in a given year. Less than a quarter give over $500. Of course, giving money is not the only way to be generous (and I’d argue that it isn’t the most important), but the statistic is a little sobering. This is part of the reason our family is making a commitment (now and going forward) to finding regular ways to let our children be generous and to hopefully create this as a life-long habit.
Focus on The Joy of Giving
It is one thing to write a check at the end of the year to be able to deduct on taxes, and quite another to actually foster an internal attitude of joy at being able to help others. Certainly, giving money is very important too, but for many of us, there are people in our own community for whom a small act of kindness would make just as big of a difference.
Consider the person alone in a hospital or nursing home this time of year. Or think about the family struggling to get by whose kids won’t get any gifts this year. Or the thousands of victims of wild fires who have lost everything this year.
The great thing about kindness is that it has a snowball affect. The feeling we get from being kind or generous to someone else encourages us to want to do these things more often. At the same time, receiving kindness or generosity often makes the recipient more likely to pass it on as well.
Small Ways to be Generous
I’m trying to simplify this year, and in so doing have thought of some small ways to pass on kindness to others. Please share your ideas in the comments!
Leave A Note or Small Gift for Delivery People
The kids decided to pick out some (mostly) healthy snacks and drinks to give them out as deliveries came to the door.
Send a Handwritten Note
In today’s email and text message world, a hand-written note of encouragement or appreciation can mean a lot! Spend a few minutes letting those you love and appreciate know just how much!
Anonymously Adopt a Family In Need
Find a local family who could use a little extra kindness this year and be their secret Santa! We ask local churches if they have members with a specific need and help them if we are able. It may be something as simple as paying an electric bill or sending gifts for their children.
Take A Digital Detox
Give the gift of uninterrupted time to your family. I’ve tried hard this year to take a weekly digital day off and just focus on my family, and the results have been wonderful. Especially over the Holidays when the whole family is home more often, I’m trying to make it a priority to really savor the time together (and not view it through the lens of my phone camera).
Encourage the whole family to take a digital day off and do activities together.
Visit or Make Cards for A Nursing Home
Do your kids love to draw or paint? Have them make artwork to take to local nursing homes. Many residents don’t get to go home for Christmas or don’t have anyone to come visit them and a small gift or piece of artwork can brighten their day!
I save up the weekly artwork my kids make in school and craft time and we take a big box to local nursing homes. This is a great thing to do any time of year!
Give a Small Gift to the Waste Disposal People
Leave a small gift on top of the trashcan or recycling bin for those who do a dirty job that makes all of our lives much easier!
Babysit for Friends
Many couples with small children would love an evening out alone to go to dinner. Offer to babysit a friend’s kids so they get the chance.
Take A Meal To Friends
As a mom who cooks three times a day (every single day), a home cooked meal that I don’t have to make is one of the best gifts ever! I’m always so grateful for friends who bring a meal by when I have a new baby and I’ve realized that most moms love this gift any time of year. Make 5 or 6 of the same meal and take to several families.
Another idea- make a bunch of slow cooker freezer meals so they can make the meal when they need it!
Review A Book, Blog or Podcast
Leave a rave review for the author of a favorite book, a blogger you like, or a podcast you listen to. Those who publish online often hear a lot of negatives, as those who disagree are more likely to leave a comment. A heartfelt review from a reader or listener is one of the greatest gifts for those who put their words out into the world.
Give Clothes You Don’t Use to a Local Dress for Success
Do you have business or dress clothes you don’t use anymore? Consider donating to an organization like Dress for Success, which provides work clothes and business development help to women in the community.
Think Bigger Too
Helping locally is a great way to teach kids to look for ways to help those around them, but there are people in need all over the world too. I like to find ways that we can more personally connect and directly help those in need around the world. The favorites for our kids this year have been:
- Getting a Lucky Iron Fish – Each one purchased sends one to another family somewhere in the world. That family can put this iron fish in any food they cook and it helps protect against iron deficiency. In fact, one fish can protect a whole family from iron deficiency for a whole year!
- Sending Micro-Enterprise Gifts to Families – You know the old saying about giving a man a fish vs. teaching a man to fish? Each year, we pick gifts to send to families in need around the world that will allow them to start a micro-enterprise to support their family. The kids love looking through the Food for the Poor gift catalog and sending water pumps, beehives, and baby chicks to other families around the world.
The Generosity Challenge
It’s easier to remember those in need around the holidays, but generosity is a habit to nurture all year long. Brainstorm ways to be generous and kind and keep doing them all year! Those who are lonely are still lonely in January. Those who are hungry are still hungry in the summer. Let’s spread the love all year long next year!
What ways does your family give to those around you? Share your ideas below!
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