It's the most wonderful time of year!

As a parent, you always want the best for your child(ren). You want them to do and be better than you. I honestly don’t think this desire ever goes away. And not only do you want your kids to do better, but you also want to give them the world. It’s a hard balance to give them everything they want, without spoiling them. And I don’t think that feeling ever goes away either J

My husband and I not only want to give our children the best we possibly can, but we also want to instill in them a compassion for others. To look past just their own needs, and into their neighborhood, city and world, and see what they do to give to others. And to know that this world is just not about themselves.

Now that our oldest is 4, we are looking for things to do to get her involved in our community. And this is the perfect time of year to start!
Since she is still fairly young, and also has a little sister who wants to copy everything she does, we want to start with things they both can do. And maybe even start a new winter tradition for our family.

I have thought of a few things that are age appropriate for the girls to get them involved! Going to the store and letting the girls pick out some canned goods that can be donated to a local food bank. Or even calling ahead to see what they are in need of most, and getting that as well. We will also be going through the girls’ toys to donate some, plus it makes room for the new toys they will be getting for Christmas. We also don’t want to forget about our 4 legged friends! I am sure your local animal shelter is in need of food, or even cat litter, because I know ours is! Going to the pet store and letting the girls pick out things to donate, taking them in, and maybe even spending some time socializing the animals- I KNOW this will be a rewarding experience for our girls.

You could also get your children involved with picking out a gift for Angel Tree, visiting a nursing home- because some of those people don’t have family at all, and I know would LOVE getting to spend time with others. Writing letters or drawing pictures for our service men and women overseas. Being a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.

There is seriously an UNLIMITED amount of things you can do to involve your children in giving back to the community. So many learning and teaching moments can take place during these times of giving to others. Instilling these kinds of values in our children will never go to waste, and might even make for a brighter future for all, all year long.

-Lady Bug