Teaching Kids how to Give, Share, & Be Thankful| #StreamTeam

The holiday season is upon us ladies and gentlemen!  Our kids are so excited to have so much time off of school for the remainder of the year, and I’m excited for the feeling of festivity in the air!

This holiday season, whether you’re spending time with friends or family, it’s a really great time to share with your kids why you are thankful for the things you have and the people who are in your lives.  It’s also a fantastic time to teach them life lessons in giving and sharing.

Check out these tips to help your children learn how to give, share, and be thankful for the things they have!

Definition of Give:  freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to.

Definition of Share:  a part or portion of a larger amount that is divided among a number of people, or to which a number of people contribute.

Definition of Thankful:  expressing gratitude and relief.

GIVE – Encourage your children to go through some of their possessions over the next couple of weeks, and donate the items to reputable homeless shelters or crisis centers.  While teaching them to give, also let them know that some of these families have had to completely walk away from the things they once had – oftentimes leaving them with just the clothes on their backs.

Other ideas:

• Give someone else their spot in line for the slide at the playground
• Make Christmas cards for the elderly or neighbors
• Donate a toy to Toys for Tots
• Use allowance for purchasing a gift for someone else
• Give you a hand in the kitchen, laundry room, or cleaning out the car

SHARE – Get the whole family together to make a double batch of cookies or brownies, and then walk your little ones to a neighbors house or take them with you to visit a friend who had surgery to share half of your goods.  Also, share the love of Jesus!

Other ideas:

• Share their dessert with their siblings
• Read a book to younger siblings
• Share their computer/tablet/game time with someone else
• Let younger siblings sleep in their bed one night

BE THANKFUL –  Let your children know, that no matter the circumstances in life, there is always something for which to be thankful.  Instead of being upset that they are giving away their belongings or sharing half of their cookies, teach them how much of a blessing it is and how thankful they should be to be in the position to help someone else.

Netflix has some great  shows and movies to show how friends and families give, share, and help each other out!  Check out how these dynamic duos work together!

Younger Kids

How do you teach your kids how to give, share, and be thankful?

Disclosure:  I am part of the Netflix Stream Team.  All opinions are my own.