Raise Giving Kids Using the Beautiful Once-a-Month Strategy (December)

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(Inside: We all want to raise giving kids. Kids who notice needs and give. We are using the once-a-month strategy.)

My husband and I are trying to raise giving kids. We are using the once-a-month strategy where we have committed to paying attention to the needs that come across our space and jumping in to help once a month. A radio commercial cut through my thoughts this month

I can’t remember what organization the radio commercial was for, but I remember the message very well.  The line, “Remember when you almost gave…” was repeated ending with the numerous things that move us and we think about giving or doing something about it, but we don’t execute. 

That is how I have felt about that World Vision catalog that comes in the mail every Christmas.  I flip through the pages and my heart stirs for the needs of the people in it.  I think we for sure should give this Christmas. Then the catalog ends up buried in a drawer.

This year was different. I wanted our family to give one less Christmas gift to each other so we would have some money left over to buy a gift out of the catalog for those in need.

I explained this to my boys as we paged through the magazine. Of course, they loved the idea of giving a chicken or a cow or a goat…or something equally as awesome. (“And mom, why can’t we buy a cow for our backyard?”}

I held my younger two’s attention for about five minutes, then they bounced around the room in excited anticipation of driving the next morning to Nana and Papa’s house for Christmas. I couldn’t really blame them, I was pretty excited too.

But, my oldest carefully pondered what we should choose to give.  He finally settled on the gift of fresh water.

What happened next is what makes me what to continue on this journey of wanting to share this Jesus that makes me so happy through giving and serving more. Because I’m starting to see the change in myself and my family that I was longing to see where people in need stay on our minds until we take action. (I want this change bad enough I’m blogging about it to hold myself accountable.) 

As I flipped through the World Vision Catalog, I kept turning back to the section talking about giving loans to women to start small businesses. It spoke to my heart.  It reminded me of the wish list of families in need.

The mom’s always asked for food. Feeding our family is a desire inherently in all of us as parents.

Even after I put the magazine away, I couldn’t stop thinking about how money for a loan to start a small business for a woman would feed a family.

So, we gave extra. 

We gave water and a small loan to a family. After we processed our giving on the computer, I turned to my husband and said, “that felt so good.”

Because it did. It was an awesome feeling.

It’s what the giving of Christmas is supposed to be all about, sharing the joy of Jesus’ birth through meeting needs and giving gifts.

raise giving kids
Learn more about where your family’s hearts are by connecting with them specifically over the faith questions in these conversation starters.

Are you trying to raise giving kids too? Read more about our once-a-month giving strategy.

Our family is working on giving. We love the science-based benefits of teaching kids to be generous. Parenting.com says,

“The benefits of actively fostering children’s charitable impulses are enormous. Besides helping counter the overdeveloped ‘gimme’ impulse, it gives kids a powerful boost in self-esteem to realize they can make a difference in someone’s life. ‘And as corny as it sounds,’ says Patricia Schiff Estess, a New York City writer and the author of (Amazon affiliate link) Kids, Money & Values, ‘when you help a child help others, you are helping to create a better world.'”

That lesson floating around our home for a year? Yes, please.

So, we started what we’re calling the “Once a Month” strategy. Each month, we looked for a way to give, and very often, it involves just noticing what’s already in front of us. (Convenient!)

Here’s how the once-a-month giving strategy rolled out: 

One reminder:
If you decide to take use this giving strategy, remember this is YOUR THING. Do what God places on YOUR HEART. Whatever works, big or little. Your family will be moved by however you decide to extend your hand. And hopefully, so will the people you give to.

raise giving kids

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