Inspire Your Child to Help Others

My daughter, as fabulous as she is, has a propensity toward rampant self-centeredness. I know that’s not at all too uncommon for most nine year olds since our world as parents, revolves around them. So, in keeping with the compassion and giving spirit of holidays & efforts to help Sandy victims, now is a great time to plant the seeds of charity & empathy in our kids.

Since there are a million different charities & volunteer opportunities on the Internet and the task of finding the right fit can be daunting (I recommend checking http://www.charitynavigator.org/). I spent some time researching and was encouraged to find that there are options all ages. Here’s a list of ways even young children can begin to give back:

• Donate clothing & shoes - allow children to help gather and pack items
• Toys for Tots
• Host a Charity Birthday Party
• Volunteer at a Retirement Home
• Donate books to Goodwill or book drives at local library
• Volunteer at local church or food pantry
• Sponsor a child in the US or abroad
• Donate food for school food drive
• Allot small amounts of allowance to give to charity of choice
• Host a food or clothing drive at his/her school

It’s important to talk to your child about giving and allow their personality to guide you to the best options for them. This way the child will continue to want help others as they grow up.

Lisa LB - A Brooklyn Idealist

Have other ideas on kids giving back? Helpful Links? Favorite local charities?

 Please Comment Below!