The gift of giving is a quality that builds children into better, stronger, and more compassionate people. It's a gift that comes from the heart starting with the smallest of thoughts and intentions. It can grow into aspirations greater than we can imgine. It is about learning to give being greater than hoarding to keep. It is about seeing through eyes that look at everything with the hope of creating and giving something more. This starts with teaching children at a young age that giving has more to do with whats is in the heart.

Christmas, I have always found is a great way to start teaching children that life is more than just recieveing it is about giving something back.

Here are some ways to start teaching your children about the miracles and hopes giving brings.

1. You go into your local superstore at Christmas time and out side the door is the Salvation Army with there hanging coin pail. You give your child a quarter or a dollar and ask them to put the money into the pail. When they ask you why, you explain that there are many people in the world who won't have the type of Christmas they will have. You explain about people without homes, not enough money to have a nice dinner or maybe even people who don't have warm jackets.After the child has added the money to the pail you commend them on how good they have done for someone in need.

2. Another good way to teach children about the gift of giving is when you are in the store and perhaps you see a bin for a can food drive or even a Toys for Tots box. Point that bin or box out to your child and make them aware that it is there. Explain to them the importance of that box and what it means for people who wont have a Christmas dinner or for children who wont have any presents to open. When you go through the store let your child pick out their favorite canned food or a small toy. Once its purchased let them put the item in the box and then commend them for making a choice to help someone else out.

3. So Christmas is a month away and you walk by your childs room and notice how cluttered it is. You start to think about all the new toys and clothes your child will be getting for Christmas. This is something I do every year before Christmas and usually in the middle of the year. I have my son or daughter go into the room with me and we go through all the old toys and clothes that dont fit anymore. We seperate things into two piles one being garbage,one being give aways. We go through everything together and then the kids go through all the used toys,cleaning them up, and making sure none are broken. Then we load up all the toys and clothes that we are giving away and take them to a local donation box or center and together we give those things away. Not only do they now have room for whatever they are getting for Christmas but now they have learned that what they used to have will be used by someone else who needs it.

We, as parents are the best role models for children. When they see us showing comapssion, sharing and giving for something or someone we believe in they will follow our lead. They learn from us and they learn what is right and wrong by what we teach them.

I started doing these thing with my children when they were four and five years old. They are now twelve and nine and they amaze me by the compassion and caring they show for others.

What to say when something given was taken advantage of

This is a short story I wanted to share about an incident that happened last year. Since my kids were little they have always given money to the Salvation Army outside of our local Walmart. They each had two dollars that they set aside to put in the pail. When we got to the store, both of the kids handed their money to the guy instead of putting the money in the pail and the guy thanked them for their donation. We walked into the store and as we were shopping a man came up to me and asked if my kids were the ones who gave their money to the man out front. I told him yes. He said to me that he wanted me to know that he was sitting in the handicap spot waiting for his wife to come when he saw my kids come up and give him the money. He said after we walked in the man put the money in his pocket. My kids were listening to what happened and after the man left my son said to me what a thief and he wasn't going to ever give money to the Salvation army again.

I explained to my son that there are people out there who will take advantage and that what the guy did was wrong in pocketing the money. But I also told him you can't judge the world by the acts of one. I also told him that you don't know what that guys situation was that he felt like he needed to steal the money, not that I agree that stealing is right. More importantly, I told him that God knows that what he (my son) was trying to do from his heart and that was what was most important.

It is far better to give

Teaching children at a young age about compassion, love, and giving helps to grow adults that will also pass those values on. You will see it all through their lives as they are growing. They will want to find ways to help other people and they will be better people for it.