My writing fingers are a little rusty, but there is no better day to bring them out than on Blog Action Day 2008. Last year I wrote about how you can reduce your daily waste. This years topic is about poverty.
Teaching children about poverty, while living in a society that doesn’t talk about it very often in daily conversation, makes it harder to teach children the concept of poverty. Including the topic in their lives and making a habit to involve our children with various activities, can help them understand and bring them more understanding of what some other children living in poverty go through in the world.
I have decided to bring out a few ideas for other parents, because I know children can help with poverty too! Use some of these ideas to get your child interested in helping others who are living in poverty. Each idea will need to be adjusted for age and your own child’s temperament.
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Donate unused clothes
Help your child pick out some of the clothes they don’t wear or are no longer using. Make sure the clothing is clean and wearable. Bring them with you when you make the donation. Don’t forget to pick out some of your clothing too so they see you are helping! -
Donate toys and books
ALL children love to play and read books. Just as you had your child pick out clothes, help your child pick out some of their toys, books, and games they no longer play with to donate. Make sure they are not broken and clean them before donating. -
Volunteer with your children
Take your children with you when you volunteer. Smaller children are harder to take volunteering, however there are many days where organizations have family volunteer days which will help get your child used to volunteering and the extra energy is welcomed. -
Donate to charity on their birthdays or holidays
On their birthday or special holidays, you can make a donation to a charity in your child’s name. You can either present your child with the certificate of the donation or make a special craft project out of it by making a card, placing the donation in it, than having your child help place the stamp on the envelope. -
Donate to food banks together
Get your children involved with donating food to the local food banks. Help them pick food in the pantry or at the grocery store. You can teach them what type of food is good to donate and deliver it together to the food bank. -
Talk to your children about poverty
This is a very simple thing we can all do to help our children. Help them recognize that there are still millions of people throughout the world, including in our own country that need our help. -
Volunteer and participate too
Every step always included you helping right along with your child. Make sure you show and tell your child all the steps you take to help with poverty.
Poverty is still an ongoing issue throughout the world. Our children will be fighting the battle when they grow up. Get them involved while they are young, so they not only are excited about helping others but will be excited about getting others to help too!
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Wow…I thought you had gone for good…great to see you back here posting 4 days off being a year since you last post! You starting this blog again? There’s no money in blogging about blogging and writing, although I sure did like you group writing project.
Cheers
Hey Sarah!
Wow! Good to see you back, hope you’ve been well. We missed you!
Hi Sarah,
Come back from the dead have we? I thought about you the other day actually, out of the blue and today I see this email notification. It made me come over to see what is going on and voila, you are posting again?
What’s been happening at your end? Why did you disappear all of a sudden? let us know please, some of the original reader crowd are still here as you well see.
All this fight poverty fad never mentions all the people working for Non profit groups getting rich thanks to good hearted people, they give $1 and only $0.20 will go in reality to the persorn in need.
A post after nearly a year. Good to see you back Sarah
Nice to see you writing again Sarah.
thanks for coming back
and i always donate the clothes to poor people and few funds when i have …
And u made me clear with few other options will try to work on it
Nice post and timely with the holidays around the corner. Even in tougher economic times it’s important to help when possible.
I am very glad to see you back. The post is good and the theme of the blog seems to be very encouraging.
This is a site here in South Africa that we support and it teaches the kids and parents how to grow their own food, pop in and have a look, we support them each month. http://www.ekukhanyeni.org/
Great ideas to share with parents! Another great way to get teens involved with charity is to have them start doing walk/runs/jogs to raise money for groups like Make A Wish or Susan G Koman Race For The Cure or with real hands on projects like Habitat For Humanity. Getting your older kids involved in activities where they can be actively involved and put some sweat into the charity not only can make them proud of themselves, help their self esteem and give them a real “feel” for helping, but it can also get them outdoors and active.
My husband and I are planning to invite homeless children on our son’s 1st birthday. The place is still undecided we just want to see those kids happy and ease their hungry even for just one day. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the post. As a parent it’s always great to see how others out there are contributing to help the less priviledge. Keep up the good posts.
Monica
We teach our kid about poverty, giving example or two where ever possible and appropriate. How to live economically. It usually works, kids won’t absorb a lot of stuff like this easy, from time to time she forgets, but it’s so great when we as parents are sometimes corrected by our kid, as per the same aspects. So the education works and nothing is wasted.
Usually only a strong organization can organize an long-lasting and effective poverty fighting. But it is always good to have it practice at home by doing the list of things listed up there.
I enjoy being a volunteer but unfortunately my place here has not much of voluntary organizations operating. Also the promotion is not enough to spread their words.
Sarah? Is that REALLY you? What have you been doing in the past year?! I hope all is well with your life!
Hey there - nice to see you’re back. What have you been up to ?
Donation is a very good thing. I uaually donate clothes and some money. As in india people are very needy they need food, shelter as well as funds. BUt it is not easy for one to donate all this at a same time. And cannot be donated on daily basis. Donaton can be done once in a while.
I donated some unused clothes this week in aid of child poverty in UK!
There is nothing more important than teaching our children to be grateful for what they have and the value of helping others less fortunate-wonderful family ideas to help fight poverty!
great article! got me thinking about what i don’t need - could benafit others…
A year is a very long time, in comparison to the separation of time between most internet updates. This is probably one of the first times I had noticed posts that were about a year apart on any site, and it sure can leave the readers looking for the site to continue. Coming back for the unifying day was a positive action.
Being aware of what brads are used form a young age can be benficial. It is never too early to know about fair trade.
Hi, you haven’t posted in quite a while now, what’s up on your side?
In my place there are more children who live in poverty, fortunately the community here always help each other by sharing something that didn’t use anymore.
I am also looking forward to your next post, keep up the great work!
Great post! Appreciate your time & efforts in publicizing this initiative. Wishing you and all your readers a merry Christmas & New year
I donated
nice…
It is a very important to create awareness for this subject and to do the best on fighting child poverty.
thanks, very nice share
ha ha super share, I thank you bluejar