Henry and I went to Walmart tonight to pick up a birthday present for a friend and a few other items. There were Salvation Army Bell ringers standing by the door, so I gave Henry a couple of quarters to put in. He wanted to keep one and give one, and I said ok. So Henry put the quarter in the jar, and we went inside to get a cart. An older gentleman stopped me and thanked me for teaching my son about giving and said he wished more parents would do that. While I don't think Henry totally "gets" giving, hopefully repeated exposure will work :)
So we went back to the toy aisles to pick out a gift, which consisted of Henry pointing out all the things he wanted instead of helping find a toy for Emma. While he was eyeing the Star Wars legos, there was an older couple reading the labels, in search of toys not made in China. I pointed them to K'nex, Legos and PlayMobil toys, but that didn't really help them since they were looking for toys for a one year old. We chatted briefly about why it's hard to find American made toys. If you're trying to do a China-free Christmas, check out http://www.toys-without-china.com/index.php
Much more food for thought than the typical Walmart trip!
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2 comments:
I bet the more the kids learn to give, and they more they see adults giving, it will stick. Seeing things like the shoebox outreach, having a compassion child, christmas jubilee, etc. is such a great thing for the kids to see.
I think if you followed up with a lesson about why the bell ringers are there and why we give, it would help. This may be too much as I'm not sure how old Henry is.
J and I volunteered to man a Salvation Army station at the mall one year. It was our Sunday School's project. We stood there an hour. I was truly blessed by doing this and seeing all the people who gave.
Mama Bear
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