Teach Kids to Be Generous Using the Once-a-Month Strategy (January)

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(Inside: Teach kids to be generous by using the once-a-month giving strategy. It helps families notice needs around them and jump in to help.)

My husband and I are trying to teach our kids to be generous. In this journey, I kept hearing about Feed My Starving Children.  It seems like everyone around here has helped pack food except us

My neighbor knows our family is on a “giving and serving more” quest, trying to pay attention to needs that present themselves to us and jump in once a month to serve or give in some way.

So when my neighbor’s church decided to sign up for a slot at Feed My Starving Children, she asked if we wanted to join. It was an easy, “yes.”  

It. Was. Awesome.

Teach Kids to Be Generous

First, there was a small video and introduction that explained how hungry children are and what Feed My Starving Children does to help.

The video showed a picture of mud pies that people actually eat!  When the picture flashed on the screen, I thought it was peanut butter.  Tears came to my eyes when it was explained that there is a process to make dirt eatable. 

Heartbreaking.

Then we went into the warehouse and packed food.  When the food was neatly boxed and ready to be shipped, we prayed over it.

Teach Kids to Be Generous

It was a wonderful experience for my family.

My oldest son kept saying how awesome packing food was.  My middle was bored with constantly dumping the vegetables into the packages and ready to go home after about five minutes.  But later, when I was tucking him into bed he told me he thought Feed My Starving Children was cool.

The experience was cool. It was even awesome. 

We will definitely be doing it again.

 

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.

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