There are a lot of things to think about as a parent. At first just the basics feel overwhelming. After having a baby we stress over feeding them and keeping them safe. Those focuses remain as they grow but are joined by more complex goals of raising children, like raising them to be confident and capable. For me, there is another characteristic that I rank up with the best of them- kindness. David and I want our children to be good, decent people and to have a generous spirit.
Hailey and Kaitlyn have a lot in their favor: strong, supportive family, safety, good food, a nice place to live. It would be easy to take all of this for granted, but David and I are making it our mission to teach them about giving back to others that may not be as fortunate. As I heard it put so beautifully at an event I was at recently, we get to be the givers. As parents we try our best to model this behavior for our girls. We aren’t perfect by any means, but we do try to give financially, donate in kind, and offer our time when possible. The girls see bits and pieces of this, like drop-offs at Goodwill, meetings and events for Girls on the Run and Discovery Place, but just seeing us do things doesn’t necessarily spark the excitement of giving in their hearts. While modeling is certainly important, we feel strongly about them having some skin in the game as well.
Several months ago, David helped Hailey put together 3 different banks (jars). One is save, one is spend and one is give. We emptied her piggy bank of money she has collected for birthdays and holidays over the years and divided it equally between the jars. I’ve been waiting for a hands-on way for her to put her give money into action.
I was mostly planning on waiting until Christmas time, but was approached with a unique opportunity to learn more about Children International, a program that I believed could help Hailey feel connected to the purpose behind her giving.
Honestly, when Children International reached out to me, I was a little skeptical. I had heard of these sponsor type programs before and hadn’t given them much thought, but this time I decided to look a little bit more into the organization. I’m so glad I did.
Children International is focused on making a long-term impact by helping kids in poverty worldwide. They have a bold vision: graduating healthy, educated, empowered and employed young adults from their program so they can achieve the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty. The idea of empowering people to be able to take charge of their own lives greatly appealed to me, and having Hailey be able to see the person she is helping really sealed the deal.
I was not required to sponsor a child for this post. It is just about spreading awareness, but I was so touched by the mission of this organization and their ability to make you feel connected that we had to get involved. If you are interested in doing the same, you can get a free information kit here, or go directly to their sponsor page to learn more.
I’m hoping through starting young and letting the girls get involved first hand that a spirit of generosity will be a big part of who they become. I’m grateful for organizations like Children International that are dedicated to making a lasting impact by empowering young children for creating these opportunities for us all to get involved in the fight against poverty. I also encourage you to consider a donation to Children International. See more information here.
Jessica says
This is awesome!! What a giving heart she has. That’s something we want to make sure our kiddos have too and have come up with numerous things to start implementing.
Jen says
I honestly couldn’t love this more! The jar idea is so fabulous…I’m definitely stealing it. My husband talk a lot about making sure our kids appreciate the things they have. And I want to instilling a giving attitude at an early age. We already have a plan to donate our time but the money aspect is so important as well. I had a pen pal growing up who ended up being my college roommate and maid of honor in my wedding. So I love this idea even more!
Thanks for another great post, Brittany.
laura says
I had the jars growing up, and I appreciate your reminder to do this with my about to be 5 year old daughter. My husband and I felt called to sponsor a child through World Vision before Camille turned 1. We were drawn to a little boy in the Dominican Republic who shares her birthday. They will both turn 5 next week. As our kids get older, we can help make that connection and understanding stronger for them. I am also traveling to the DR on a mission spring over my spring break with a group of high school girls from the school year I teach, and I can’t wait to bring back the real life experience of our sponsored child’s world to my own family. Thank you for always looking for ways to blog about the things that really matter. There is always hope in the world…
sherry says
I got chills when I read this article. What a wonderful program and a great opportunity for people of all ages to give back! We have children in our area that we “adopt” for the holidays and I really enjoy the shopping we do for them. We don’t get to see who they are but in my heart I can see their smiles.
Leah says
What a great Mom you are. A sweet girl you have. Wonderful post!
Lisa says
This is wonderful. I am curious to know why you felt this year was the right year to so intimately involve Hailey in the giving process. I have a son Kaitlyn’s age and think it is too soon. I also worry about him being very sensitive to the fact that we ‘have’ so much and others so little. I even worry about involving him in taking an angel from our church’s Christmas tree to buy gifts for a child who Santa might not visit – what a sad concept! I don’t want him to know that Santa doesn’t visit everyone. Another example – I was explaining the Little Drummer Boy song to him, and he asked why the drummer didn’t have anything else to give to the baby. I just don’t feel equipped to give him an age appropriate response to things like that yet! Maybe I am being the sensitive one 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
Hi Lisa! I totally think it depends on the kid and the kind of giving. For example, I think Hailey is too young to take to a homeless shelter to serve yet. I think it would scare her. Same with taking her to see sick children in the hospital (which is a cause so close to my heart- all in due time). However this opportunity was simple enough for her to understand (we have a lot of food, but not everyone does, so we can help buy them food) and tangible (she could see the picture of who she was helping) that it was a wonderful fit!
Kaitlyn (2 1/2) is still learning about the importance of saying please and thank you 😉 so she still has a couple of years before I expect her to grasp the concept of giving fully. Baby steps!