Starting the Generosity Journey: Kids & Grandkids

We may or may not remember, but I am confident we all behaved selfishly when we were little. I remember not wanting to share a brand new, shiny yellow Tonka loader I had received for my birthday. I ended up crying on my birthday, as those wiser than me (my parents) forced me to “share”.

As a society, we tend to focus on those shortcomings when it comes to little ones, but the truth is, children have a vast capacity to trust, share and give of themselves. We as parents and grandparents can foster that generosity characteristic, coaching, modelling and teaming up with our precious little ones. Once they are off to the races, children have the ability to focus unbridled enthusiasm about whatever it is that has caught their imaginations. Children have not yet become jaded about the politics and disappointments that we adults allow to dampen our joy.

What could happen if we walk together with our kids and grandkids through exercises of generosity? If I lend my mind to a possibility mindset, rather than a probability mindset, then there is no limit to the good that can happen from planting some seeds. If I let the kids’ unhindered imaginations be the guide, I will most likely learn more from them than they learn from me!

At GiveWise, we have a “Share Funds With Others” feature, so that you can deposit some of your Giving Funds into your children’s accounts, and you can journey with them as to how to give away those funds.

We encourage you to spend some time and get creative:

• make an additional supplement to the kids’ allowance or talk with them about putting some of their own allowance into their Giving Fund. The same thing can be done with birthday or Christmas gifts,
• ask the kids to name the types of needs they see around them,
• research organizations that tackle those needs,
• choose one or two organizations that strike a chord with the kids’ hearts and give to them,
• search for appropriate opportunities to serve together at local charitable agencies. We guarantee this will create and strengthen bonds.

We anticipate that this will be a fruitful venture for all involved! If children develop generosity habits from a young age, they will develop the ability to see outside of themselves and this will be a tremendous life-skill they carry with them through their teens and into adulthood.