A very special relative of ours had a mantra. Well, she had a lot of mantras, but this one rings true to families with children. Once our first child was born, she told us “You were blessed with a healthy child. Now you must give back to those who are not so fortunate.” It has always stayed with me and it is something I have now made one of my mantras.
During the holiday season, it’s easy to get all caught up in the presents you have to buy for family, friends, colleagues…and yes, it certainly can add up. But what if we could all add one more important “person” on the list? By “person” I mean, and charity, community service, or local family in need. If everyone did that automatically when planning their holidays, think how much of a difference it could make!
The holidays can put a strain on a family’s budget, but as I have started to help my children understand, many presents cost nothing at all. And can I be honest with you? Often times, my children are teaching me. I watch my oldest and he blows my mind sometimes. He has always had a genuine, compassionate heart. When he became the big brother of twins, he wanted to make sure they were ok. He loved feeding them with our help and watching them sleep. There was never any sign of jealousy.
Now at preschool age, he is even more compassionate and is genuinely concerned for the well being of others. When Halloween came and his school gave him a box to wear to collect change for their allotted charity, he took it very seriously. I think that was almost more important to him than getting the treats door to door.
Now with the holiday season, my husband and I have expressed many times how others need help and we can give it to them. Whether it is helping the school collect canned goods for their food drive, wrapping up toys for children that are in local hospitals, or helping mama bake for the church bake sale, all are important and all show my children how to share their good fortune. For our own family, we start early like little elves making crafty ornaments and writing holiday cards. It’s nice to see the pride my children have in all of these gestures.
This holiday season, Kinder will be providing support to the Children’s Miracle Network with theirKinder a Joy to Share Program . For every share of this video, Kinder will donate $1.00 to the Children’s Miracle Network, up to $5,000. Just a simple click will help the donation so please share this charity program with friends and family.
So tell me, how do you share the joy during this holiday season? I’d love to hear from you and learn new ways of incorporating compassion and caring for others for our children. If you have a great example, let me know!
Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.