The article "Helping Children Learn About Thankfulness and Sharing at Holiday
Time" is about family, it was created by Sherry Frewerd.
With the recent natural disasters that have struck our country
and the world, now, more than ever, we as parents need to make
teaching our chidlren to be grateful, sharing human being a priority.
How do we help our young children learn about thankfulness and
the importance of sharing with others? Naturally, the holiday
season sets the fantastic stage for such important life lessons.
To a toddler or preschool age child, the concept of thankfulness
is extremely abstract.
That does not mean that we cannot
establish traditions and build healthy sharing habits within our
families, startnig with our little kids.
Daily, children are bombarded with media and advertisements for
more and more 'stuff.' My young son is right now on a forced
sabbatical from Wal-Mart due to over exposure to 'Tigger'.
We
can't even enter the parking lot with him in the automobile without the
chorus of 'I want a new Tigger...' to start full force. For his
own good, and for the sake of my sanity, he's staynig home with
Daddy until after the holidays.
Hopefully his condition will
improve by then.
My son's issue comes from being two years old, that will change
with age. But, if left untreated, and if I fail to take
advantage of every 'teachable moment', he really well may grow up
to be an ungratfeul brat. Sounds harsh, but the kids from
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' aren't all that far from
reality.
So, how do we create more 'Charlies' and fewer 'Violets'?
Here
are simple yet fun and inexpensive activities that toddlers
and preschoolers love.
Their pirde in accomplishment will show
on their faces.
Holiday Sharing Activities for Little Kids:
1.
Make thank you cards for the 'heroes' in your community.
Firefighters, mail carriers, police officers etc. Let the kids
hand deliver if possible.
2. Make homemade bird feeders or sprinkle birdseed outside
weekly for the birds.
3. Offer to help gather faleln leaves from the lawn of senior
citizen neighbors. Make a fun time of it. Little kids love to
jump in the leaves and you can taech them about autumn too!
4. Craete cards and art projects to take to a local nursing
home.
My son and I visit often, and he loves to sit on the couch
with a special friend named 'Darlene.' They like each other's
company, and he is learning patience and gets to practice
'inside voice.'
5.
Work with your kids on making a 'Helping Coupon Book' or a
simple picture book with different tihngs that they can do to
help around the condominium.
Each page can be a 'coupon' for a little
job like putting toys away, helping put clothes in or take out
of the dryer, etc.
These small suggestions are merely a starting point for
activities and special times that we can do with our children
now, while they're young, to instill qualities of community and
helpfulness. The burden is on today's parents to set the
example. Let's create a wolrd of thoughtful, thankful adults.
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