It is the season to think about donations for non -profit donations (at least if you want to deduct them for taxes), but giving money gifts is definitely not the only way to be generous. We try to concentrate on making experiences as far as possible as gifts (although they still get physical gifts).

We just enjoyed getting gifts for Christmas, but I also wanted to help my children develop the experience, the joy of giving others in a different way. This resulted in a tradition of setting the week between Christmas and New Year to think about concrete paths in order to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and generosity in our family.

Since children do not have a lot of money to donate, this requires a little creativity and thinking about tangible things that we can do as a family.

Why the experience of generosity is important

This article really drove home for me how we help a person much more often than we react to a large group or more general needs:

The paper gel in my daughter’s hand was: “Girl, age 6th wants: Unterdems.” The angel in my son’s hand was: “Boy, 7 years old. Likes: Dinosaurs. ”My lectures about far away hungry children had previously fallen on deaf ears, but on this December day my children, aged 5 and 8, ran eagerly for the shop to find the right gifts. “I think she’ll like this! You have princesses! “” Can I get him a sweatshirt too? I don’t want it to be cold! “

Of course it wasn’t my fabulous parenthood that finally made her think. It was what behavioral scientists describe as a “identifiable victim effect” – the human tendency to react more sensitive to the emergency of an individual to a large group.

The rest of this article also gives other tips on how to raise less justified children, but a significant success is that it is important to model generosity in a personal and assignable way so that our children see it at a young age.

Unfortunately, only about half of the Americans donate to a charity or non -profit organization in a certain year. Less than a quarter give over 500 US dollars. Of course, giving money is not the only way to be generous (and I would argue that it is not the most important thing), but the statistics are a little sobering.

This is part of the reason why our family (now and in the future) takes a commitment to find regular ways to make our children generous and hopefully do this as lifelong habit.

Focus on the joy of giving

It is one thing to write a check at the end of the year to deduct taxes and another to promote an internal attitude of joy to help others. It is certainly also very important to give money, but for many of us there are people in our own community, for whom a small act of kindness would make an equally big difference.

Consider the person alone in a hospital or nursing home at this time of year. Or think of the family that is fighting to get through whose children do not get any gifts this year. Or the thousands of victims of forest fires that have lost everything.

The great friendliness is that it has a snowball effect. The feeling that we are friendly or generous to someone else encourages us to do these things more often.

At the same time, receiving friendliness or generosity often makes the recipient more often to pass it on.

Small opportunities to be generous

I try to simplify this year and have thought of some small options to pass on the friendliness to others. Please share your ideas in the comments!

Leave a note or a small gift for deliverers

This was entirely the idea of ​​my children. We order a decent amount of our food online because many ingredients (such as manio meal and grass -fed, prefabricated bone broth) are not available in our region. I also order most of our gifts online so that the Mailman, the Fedex and the ups drivers work particularly hard, long hours during the holidays!

The children decided to select some (mostly) healthy snacks and drinks to give them out when deliveries came to the door. I had it shopped for the pantry and cut a special box for this occasion.

Even if the holidays have passed, you would still appreciate it if you recover from the season!

Send a handwritten note

In today’s world of email and SMS, a handwritten note of encouragement or appreciation can mean a lot! Spend a few minutes with it, those who love and appreciate how much know! Dust off the stationery and use these remaining Christmas brands to send a hearty, written thanks or just letters.

If you are a bit rusted, there is an inspiration to get started.

Anonymously take on a needy family

Christmas is not the only time that local churches and other organizations help families in need. Ask your church or local protection that you can help in the course of the year. You can even ask whether there are members with a certain need so that it feels more personal. Something can be so easy to pay for an electrical invoice or buy new layers.

Take digital detoxification

Give your family the gift of uninterrupted time. This year I tried to take a weekly digital day off and only concentrate on my family, and the results were wonderful. Especially during the holidays when the whole family is at home more often, I try to enjoy the time together (and not to look at the lens of my telephone camera).

Encourage the whole family to take a digital day off and instead do activities.

Visit or make tickets for a nursing home

Do your children love to draw or paint? Let them make works of art a local nursing homes. Christmas and the new year can be difficult for many residents who do not go home for Christmas or have no one who visits them. A small gift or a small work of art can lighten your day!

I store the weekly works of art that my children make at school and in the craft period, and we bring a large box to local nursing homes. This is a great thing in every season!

Give the waste disposal company a small gift

Leave a small gift on the trash can or a recycling container for those who do dirty work … What you do makes all our lives so much easier!

Babysit for friends

Many couples with young children would love an evening alone to go to dinner. Offer to baby’s children so that they have the chance. In a world in which people are increasingly living separately from the extended family, this can be a great gift for a tired parent.

Take a meal to friends

As a mother who cooks three times a day (every day), there is a homemade food that I don’t have to make, one of the best gifts ever! I am always so grateful for friends who take a meal with a new baby, and I have found that most mothers love this gift in every season. Make 5 or 6 of the same meal and take several families.

Another idea: make a few slow cooker cupboard meals so that you can prepare the food if you need it!

If this sounds exhausting after the vacation (I understand!), There are many great, healthy food services that you can give. One of my favorites is a smoothie box from the daily harvest (you also have soup and other healthy treats) or some meals from a good kitchen.

See a book, a blog or a podcast

Leave an enthusiastic review for the author of a favorite book, a blogger you like, or a podcast you hear. Those who publish online often hear many negatives, since those who do not agree leave a comment. A warm review of a reader or listener is one of the greatest gifts for those who bring their words into the world. (Ask me how I know!)

Give clothing that you do not use for a local dress for success

Do you have shops or clothing clothes that you no longer use? Many of us feel the urge to declared and organize at the beginning of the new year. If you deal with your closet, consider donations to an organization like dress for success that women in the community offers work clothes and business development.

Think bigger too

Helping on site is a great way to teach children, looking for opportunities to help people around them, but there are also people in need all over the world. I like to find ways of how we can personally connect and help the needy around the world. The favorites for our children this year were:

• Have a happy iron fish – Everyone who was bought sends one to another family somewhere in the world. This family can bring this iron fish into all the food they cook and helps protect against iron deficiency. In fact, a fish can protect an entire family from iron deficiency for a whole year!
• Sending micro-enterprise gifts to families – Do you know the old saying to give a man a fish and teach a man fishing? Every year we choose gifts that we can send to families all over the world in need that enable them to found a micro carrier to support their family. The children love to watch the food for the bad gift catalog and to send water pumps, beehives and baby chicks to other families around the world.

The generosity challenge

It is easier to remember during the holidays, but generosity is a habit to maintain all year round. Brainstorming ways to be generous and friendly and to continue it all year round! Those who are lonely are still lonely in January. Those who are hungry are still hungry in summer. Let us spread love all year round next year!

How does your family give their fellow human beings around them? Share your ideas below!