When I was a kid, I got an allowance. Not because we were rich, not because my parents neglected paying for things for my brother and I, but because my parents wanted to teach my brother and I about how to use our money wisely.
Even when I was in 1st grade, I could remember getting a few dollars in allowance and having 3 envelopes, one to spend, one to save, and one to tithe. It was a joy for me as a kid to be able to give money at church. I felt like I contributed, like I was a part of something bigger. I went to Mission Friends (if you were an SBC kid, you know what I’m talking about!), put my money in a little bowl to give to missionaries and I loved it! I would venture to guess that my love for missions roots in those moments of giving to those overseas.
You can teach kids about giving without forcing them to give away their money. It’s not just about teaching them to put their money in a bucket at church. As most things, you’ve got to reinforce from home about why we do certain things, so…
Here are some ideas:
1) do the envelope thing! it’s one thing to hand your child a dollar bill before going into church, but giving them something that they divide up and give back makes such an impact on their understanding of giving. (i’ve heard of some actual “piggy banks” that have different slots for the different areas, google it and you could find some cool things)
2) i recently heard about a family having a yard sale and all of the proceeds going to Oak Leaf on a Big Give weekend we are doing. they are working with their kids to sort through toys and clothes that they don’t need, teaching them that to give is worthwhile.
3) sponsor a Compassion child. Matt and I began sponsoring 9 year old Jean from Burkina Faso a few months ago and were thrilled to receive a letter and a picture from him last month. You can write letters to your Compassion child, send them pictures and gifts. It’s an incredible way for children to gain a perspective of things outside their world and contribute to a great cause.
4) do it yourself. (and some of you just exited this blog…) Maybe I’m preaching to the choir, but if you want to teach your child to have a giving, maybe you should actually give as well. Modeling has an incredible impact on your children.
5) Be on the lookout and do things as a family to give and serve those in need. Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming which means there are tons of opportunities to give and serve. Not only will you be helping others, but it’s a great way to spend quality time with your family in the craziness of the holidays. Oak Leaf Kids will be having a fun opportunity for the December….more info to come on that. (Also, beginning in 2010, Second Saturday will ramp up to serve the Cartersville area!)
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so many reasons. First of all, the more hands, the better, when serving. But more importantly, “teenagers” are who kids look up to! With boys and girls developing so much sooner in life than they used to, you’ve got to stop and think about who it is they are watching and listening to. The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Disney Channel stars….they are all teens (and even early 20s)! Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome to have adults serve with kids. They need that Godly influence, but you know the kids still see adults as “authority figures” instead of friends. That is why I love students serving with kids.
