5 Ways To Teach Your Kids To Live Generously

In a society where we seemed trained to want more, to even need more, it can be hard to raise children that want to liver generously and be mindful of the needs of others. I don’t want to force my kids into sharing and sacrificing for the needs of others, but I do want to lead by example and make them aware of what is happening both around the world and in our very own city.

There are so many ways that children can get involved and make a difference in the world, here are a few of my favorites!

• Pictures of other countries – Showing your kids pictures of foreign countries and how people live overseas can be a great way to spark conversation. I want my kids to grow up with the knowledge that they are not the center of the world, and they can do something to help those less fortunate than they are.
• Toys to children’s hospitals – Many children’s hospitals allow donations of toys to be made. These can help stock playrooms at the hospital or can be given to the children who are stuck in the hospital for lengthy amounts of time fighting diseases. Buying new toys or sharing some of the best toys from your own home can be a wonderful way to show your kids what other kiddos are facing right here in our country.
• Work in a soup kitchen – Many soup kitchens are looking for volunteers. If your kids are older you could help serve meals to the homeless or volunteer in other areas!
• Random acts of kindness – Teaching children to be loving and spontaneously kind isn’t easy but it can be fun! Being intentional with the way you interact with others and always seeking ways to be a blessing to the people around you will teach them to do the same as they grow up.
• Wendy’s® – You may wonder why I’m mentioning a food place in the middle of this post, but Wendy’s does so much to help children in the foster care system! Wendy’s® has supported foster care adoption for 22 years! The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® believes that we have a responsibility to be the voice of foster care adoption, so that every child finds a family. As founder Dave Thomas said, “These children are not someone else’s responsibility. They are our responsibility.” The DTFA exist to find homes for children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care in North America. Right now at Wendy’s®  you can purchase a frosty coupon book for $1! Ninety cents out of every dollar goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®! This is such a perfect way for kids to get involved because it is a fun (and tasty) way to help other people. The coupon books give you FREE frosty coupons that are good from Nov. 1, 2014 – Feb. 1, 2015. I love finding ways like this to help people, and teach my kids that helping others can be fun and rewarding! The reward doesn’t always come in the form of tasty treats, but it definitely doesn’t hurt when it does! I’m thinking these would be awesome to give out on Halloween night as well! Stock up on a bunch and slip one coupon into each trick-or-treater’s bag!

how do you teach your children to live generously? Have you bought a Wendy’s® halloween frosty coupon book yet?  Visit your local Wendy’s® to purchase a Jr. Frosty™ Halloween Coupon Book* for $1, which benefits the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.