Like most parents what I want most is to raise happy, healthy kids who will lead fulfilled lives. But, it goes beyond that. I want my children to be kind and conscientious citizens of their world. To be aware of those around them, understand their good fortune and acknowledge that not everyone was born so lucky and recognize there are little and big things they can do to drive positive change around them.
This is not an easy parenting goal to achieve. In fact, in the fast-paced, materialistically driven society in which we live, it can seem a daunting task. My husband and I have done a lot of thinking about how we can create this kind of environment. I thought I would share our thoughts in hopes that you would share yours.
Talk To Them About the World
It starts small. Children are sponges and I think they can attain a basic understanding of many difficult topics. Begin with conversations related to their day-to-day life. Talk to them about taking care of our earth, not polluting and conserving water. Talk to them about why the homeless person you just passed on the street may be begging for money. Talk to them about what charities you choose to support and why. Talk to them about the world, in general, and let them start to understand their existence in the context of a much bigger place.
Use resources that you may have around your house to get you started. My husband got an issue of the Times annual The Year in Review at Christmas. My five-year-old twins, saw it and started asking questions. He ended up spending countless evenings explaining the various events in age-appropriate terms. They learned about the Gulf oil spill, the earthquake and devastation in Haiti, the Chilean Miner rescue and the list goes on. Your children are not too young to hear about these things, it just needs to be put into age-appropriate terms. So, talk to them about what they may see when you are watching the news or the pictures that catch their eye in the paper.
Encourage their feelings of compassion for those less fortunate.
Apply The Knowledge
My twins get a weekly allowance of 25 cents. It has mostly been a teaching tool to learn the value of different coins but recently it went a step further when we decided to start talking to them about charitable giving.
After seeing a picture of endangered chimpanzees in the paper and learning about the issue, they decided to donate a small amount to the Jane Goddall foundation. This ended up being an online donation which I think was difficult for them to really understand. When they wanted to make a donation to the Hospital For Sick Children I took them there to make the donation in person. They put their money in the little box and gained a solid understanding of where their money was being spent.
Donating Time
I would like them to have the opportunity to donate their time to a specific cause. During the Christmas season I plan to take them door-to-door to collect for the food drive and perhaps in early 2012, plan a bake sale to raise money for a cause of their choice.
As busy parents, we all understand that time is a precious and limited resource. It is not always possible to do everything we want with our children. I firmly believe that that every small step opens their eyes to the world around them and brings them closer to becoming a conscientious child.
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