Thrifty Thursdays: Saving for Charity
"Mom, did you know that some kids in other countries have to drink brown water?" We were up to the toothbrushing part of my son’s bedtime routine and he was filling his cup to rinse his mouth. "Mmm-hmm. And some children, even in this country, go to bed hungry because they don't have enough to eat," I replied, almost without thinking. Uh-oh. My son’s eyes immediately filled with tears and he became distraught.
"It’s okay, honey," I said trying to think quickly. "People are working hard to try to help those kids." He nodded, gulping down his toothpaste, which I coaxed him into spitting out. This wasn't the first time my 8-year-old had heard about kids in need. We’ve donated money to charities online and have given away toys, books and used clothing. But my offhand remark had struck some awareness, and it was as if my son understood for the first time: Kids can be hungry. They can suffer.
"You know that change we put aside for your piggy bank?" I asked. "How about we save some of that to give to people who are helping hungry kids?" My son smiled and nodded. Inside, I did a little cheer. I'd suggested something that would help kids and make my son feel better. And my little boy is growing into the kind of person who becomes upset at the thought of hungry children. I tucked him into bed that night, feeling very lucky and thankful -- for our clean water, the food on our table and my beautiful boy.
Do you have any ideas for how to teach children about charity? What are some ways you've taught your children about giving to others, either by donating money or by volunteering?
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I think kids, in general, are more sensitive than adults to the plight of others, but they are less likely to notice, without adult help, that others live in much worse circumstances.
We live on a street where there are other kids that my kids play with who live in poverty, and I have to explain stuff like the reason she wouldn’t give you her phone number is that she probably doesn’t have a phone.
Kids have a sense of fairness that makes it just seem wrong that others don’t have what they do, so they just can’t understand unless someone spells it out.
My youngest is much quicker to pick this up than my older two. She is always trying to help others. She collected change from teachers, classmates, neighbors, herself and mostly our change jar (in all about $30) to help the homeless people who live in a lot next to our church. She wanted to just go in the lot and hand out the money, but I convinced her to give it to the priest to help them.
My kids gave their extra halloween candy to the little orphan children every year — up until the time one of them caught my wife snacking on the stash in the back closet. They all got wise, and they never forgot. We almost certainly damaged them for future charitable endeavors.
My family fosters for the local animal rescue league /shelter.
In economic recessions, our fellow companion animals are the hardest hit–abandoned at shelters to an uncertain fate, most of them being put to death. Others are left to fend for themselves on the streets and highways, locked in closets, etc.
When we respect and care for all species as well as our own, the world will be a better place!
I love your story. What a sweet and sensitive child you have. One thing that I do with my daughter’s weekly allowance is to divide it into 3 boxes: spending, saving, and sharing. She gets $1 per week at this point, so she keeps .50 in her “spending” box, and .25 each in the savings and sharing boxes. She spends her “sharing” portion on others — whether it’s for a charitable cause or a gift for someone she loves.