Teaching your toddler the spirit of giving is one of the greenest things you can teach. When you instill a love for helping others you are teaching your child organic love, as well as the power of change one person can have. By showing your child how much of a difference one person can make, and you will be raising a child who not only respects the world they live in, but the people they live in it with. This is the perfect age to start teaching them, because toddlers pay attention to EVERYTHING you do.
Your toddler may be too young to understand donating money, so teach them to make giving back a daily part of their lives.
Some of the simple things you can do to teach your child about giving back are:
- Help someone daily who is struggling. It can be as simple as carrying in the groceries, reaching for something, or holding a door.
- Watch your friend’s children so they can have a break.
- Pick up trash on your daily walks.
- Make dinner for a family when they are sick or overwhelmed or just because.
- Bake cookies for a nursing home.
- Donate your gently used clothes and shoes to goodwill. Explain why you are giving away the clothes, and who they will help
- Packing up old toys and bring them to a shelter or church where other children can enjoy them. Involve your child by helping them pack, and taking them with you when you drop them off.
- As you start teaching your toddler to save change, you can also start a separate piggy bank to use to buy toys for children who may not get toys for the holidays.
- Try adopting a child or family during the holidays. Involve your child by letting them pick out the clothes/toys. Talk to them about how it feels to get a present and why giving to others in need will make that child/family feel the same way.
- Buy canned food items and drop them at church or a food pantry on a pretty regular basis. Again, involve your child with this process so they can understand why you are doing it.
All of these things are pretty simple, and can really help to develop a love of giving back to those who need it most. Talk to your child as you do things. Let them know how much the smile or thank you meant to you. Before you know it, your child will be joining in and giving back to others on their own.
How do you teach your child the spirit of giving? Green So Easy – Even a Toddler Can Do It!
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I loved this post! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 I have taught my toddler to help the earth by recycling and re-using. He is also very polite, especially with please and thank you! And sharing his toys with his little brother. Again, thank you for sharing all of these great ideas!
Thanks Marci! It is so easy to teach them from the beginning than try to learn later in life. I still catch myself leaving on lights and what not – I hope one day my kiddos remind me!