Giving to Others...

One of my colleagues at work is currently holding a "Hygiene Drive". He is collecting toiletries that will be given to families in need along with their Thanksgiving food box. You cannot buy toiletry items like shampoo and soap with food stamps, and so for many families these items are a huge need.

I told Julia and Colin about the drive and asked them if they would be willing to help me shop for some items- so that we as a family could give to others. Normally, we would have just walked the aisles, talking about what the families might need, and putting things in the cart. But, I decided to really make it into a learning experience by giving each one of them a budget and allowing them to make their own selections.

Each child was given ten dollars to spend and was encouraged to get AS MUCH as they could to donate in the drive. We headed off to WalMart with the list of suggested items, a piece of paper and a pencil.

I was AMAZED at the thought that my children put into this project. They looked at prices, were thoughtful in their selections, sat on the floor and added up what they had spent so they knew just how much they had left. They worked together to try to purchase at least one of every item on the list, and in the end pooled their last few dollars to purchase the last item that neither one of them could afford on their own. At the end when we were checking out Julia commented that she felt good that she was helping another family be comfortable. I thought that was an interesting take on the situation... think about how uncomfortable it would be to not have the toiletry items that I am sure most of us take for granted.

For me, doing it this way took about 15 minutes longer than just zipping through the store and picking up some items to donate, but it provided my children with a true learning experience.

At the start of a season that can often become more about getting than giving- I think this activity set the right tone for our holidays. Now, I just need to keep thinking about other ways to keep that tone present in our minds and our thoughts as we move forward into the holiday season.

Night all-
C