If you have ever thought about teaching your child the gift of giving back, the fall season is a GREAT place to start. Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas is just a few weeks after that. The weather is cooler and people tend to stay inside a bit more than in the summer months. Fall is the PERFECT opportunity to get your kids involved in a less selfish activity and get them into the habit of giving to others rather than always receiving.
I came back from working a wedding as the wedding coordinator and brought home my 3 girls each a pink rose, some LARGE sparklers, and some free passes to a butterfly house and corn maze. In fact, whenever I come home from a wedding, I typically have goodies to share with them. So when my 6.5 year old daughter got those things and then asked me, “What else did you bring us?” I knew I needed to shift gears in our house. We had become a receiving family and less of a giving family (that pains me to admit).
I started brainstorming and came up with several service projects we could do as a family to make someone else’s day a bit brighter. The best gifts are this we give to others and it was about time my girls discovered this statement to be true. I came up with a list of 8 service projects you too can accomplish in your home (for others) this fall season. Feel free to comment with the service projects you have done with your kids as well.
Make Cards for the Elderly. Our elderly get forgotten all to often and how nice would it be to call a nursing home ahead of time to get the names of some residents who don’t have frequent visitors and make them something special. Then go and give them a gift that would mean so much to them.
Operation Christmas Child. Churches all around have boxes you can fill for children in other countries who don’t get gifts at Christmastime.
Food Pantry. Volunteer your time restocking shelves at a food pantry.
Serve Neighbors. Each week take your neighbors trash bins back to their holding spot, make them some Rice Krispy treats or a treat they enjoy, rake their leaves, write them letters, etc.
Serve Your Child’s Teacher. Give your child’s teacher an unexpected gift, send in flowers with your child, make them a treat, write them a note telling them you appreciate them.
DONATE, DONATE, DONATE. Donate old, slightly worn clothes, toys, electronics, etc.
Grandparent Helper. Have your child help their Grandma/pa with house projects such as sweeping, dusting, organizing, etc.
Lemonade Stand. Have your kids set up a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to a charity of their choice.
So whether it is taking cards to a nursing home or having a lemonade stand in the front yard to raise money for the local firefighter/police department, teaching kids the art of giving back is key to them learning unselfish behaviors and compassion toward others.
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