There’s not much our mother’s wont do for us, and it doesn’t matter how much money you have or where you live. In our family charitable giving was taught at an early age, and giving back where we can has always been a big point. This year, World Vision asked us to spread the word on the ways to give back and help spread charitable giving to your children.
As Mother’s Day approaches, it’s May 8th so mark your calendar, it’s time to reflect on on the most important lesson your mother taught you as a child. For my sister and I, it was to always be kind and give back where we can. It’s something we took to heart and still do to this day, and lessons we’re passing on as well. Our mother gave us so much, and it’s nice to be able to help out where and when we’re able!
Need some ways to teach your children about giving back? World Vision has some great suggestions on how to start the conversation with you child:
- Turn story time into a teachable moment: Learning about other countries and cultures can happen during daily activities. Choose children’s books that accurately portray other cultures or focus on historical events for afternoon or bedtime reading. After finishing the book, parents can talk to children about what they learned and how the lives of the characters in the book differ from their own.
- Make the facts digestible for young minds: Young children may have a difficult time comprehending abstract statistics about inequality around the world. Create a math activity at home to make this information more relatable. Use beads or buttons to count out how many children are in the child’s class, and then remove items based on global averages for clean water access or hunger statistics. According to World Vision’s 2015 Food Assistance Report, 1 in 6 children – more than 1.4 million kids – are dangerously underweight because they lack access to adequate food and nutritional assistance. For a classroom of 24, remove 4 beads to represent these children.
- Experiment at home: Ask children to put themselves in another person’s shoes by conducting experiments at home. For example, create a family menu budgeting $1.25 a day per family member. Give children $1.25 during the next grocery store trip – the amount of money that 1.3 billion people worldwide live on each day, according to World Vision – and let them shop and price compare themselves. Afterwards, talk about the types of foods they couldn’t purchase and what kinds of foods the menu is limited to: Were you able to purchase fresh fruits or vegetables? Is the meal limited to rice or pasta? What kind of protein could you afford to buy?
- Sponsor a child: Get children involved directly in providing a “hand up” to communities in need around the world by sponsoring a child as a family through World Vision. Involve children in the process of choosing a boy or girl to sponsor; ask them to write cards and draw pictures for the sponsored child, and talk to them regularly about how the sponsorship donation is helping provide equal opportunities for boys and girls, clean water, bed nets, job training for parents, and much more – including the freedom to simply be a child.
Why sponsor through World Vision?
Though children and families face hardships like poverty and conflict, we can bring hope to a hurting world. Child sponsorship through World Vision allows for a one-on-one relationship with a sponsored child, while pooling gifts from sponsors who support children within the same community to provide long-term resources for lasting change. World Vision believes that effective development that lifts communities and individuals out of long-term poverty lies in helping them discover their potential as human beings and mobilizing communities to take ownership of long-term projects that support clean water, healthcare, agriculture, education and income generation. Join us in partnering with those in need to build lasting solutions that address their challenges. Together, we can be greater than adversity.
World Vision is giving one of my readers one of the Handmade Baby Bib as a gift, read how you can win below!
How Can You Win?
Enter to win with the form below. What is the best lesson your mother taught you? or What is your favorite gift you’d like to give or purchase from the World Vision website? If you do not do this entry – you will not win! So make sure you leave a comment and then enter using the form below!
Royal Silk Scarf
I would love to give he gift of An animal.
I like the drops of turquoise necklace.
TURQUOISE MEDALLION NECKLACE
I like the Vietnamese Tote.
Always consider others first.
My mom would probably love the Vietnamese tote!
Another nice gift would be the silver vines cuff for my mom.
The African soapstone box is neat to put all our trinkets in, and has a unique design too.
My mom taught me to follow my dreams and that hard work can achieve anything.
I like the royal silk scarf.
i want to get the royal silk scarf, it’s beautiful
I like the Silver Vines Cuff.
My mom told me to be sweet and kind no matter what. It has helped me to make friends everywhere, and be a very likeable person without having to be bold or outgoing. (Great for me because I’m very introverted!)
My mom taught me to be kind to everyone.
My mom taught me to be myself and not care what others think.