Teaching your child charity - Essay Example

April 24th Children and Charity “Teaching your Child Charity” by Diane Harris - Summary The article addresses the importance of teaching your child to be charitable at an early age and how to go about it. The writer posits that, despite their tendency to squabble over the best of toys, treats and clothes, children are born with innate feelings of charity and compassion. With close observation, one can see this in the compassionate acts small children, such as a 5 year old comforting a bullied kid is a sign of inherent charity (Harris 1).

It is further suggests that children should be given a chance to exercise their charitable “muscles” just as they get a chance to exercise their legs muscles when learning to walk. Teaching children charity helps in curbing the “give me” impulse, and it boosts their self-esteem knowing they can change somebody’s life.The article suggests the best ways of achieving this is to be hands-on and let the child watch or/and participate in charitable activities with his/her parents (Harris 2).

This direct contact is essential since it is hard for young children to understand the role of money in charity. Moreover, the parent should follow the Child’s leads and ideas about charity as the kid will learn more this way. However, a parent can also point them in the right direction by giving suggestions. In addition, Allowances can be used as tools for promoting charity. When a parent gives the child an allowance and tells him or her to set a fraction of it aside for sharing, the child will be learning how to share their money with needy people from an early age.

Parents are also advised to seize opportunities to teach their children charity as they arise, for instance, explaining to a child the situation of homeless people when they pas one in the street (Harris 4). Moreover, parents should lead by example, and whenever they take part in charitable acts, they should tell their children and explain why it is important to do so. Ultimately, teaching charity benefits the children and the parents even more (Harris 2).CommentaryThe article is very insightful and an astute piece of writing.

It is quite objective and clearly well researched. The fact that children are naturally compassionate is very true although many take it that they have not yet developed this innate character. In addition, the idea of teaching children on how to be charitable at an early age is a very practical since if they learn and adopt the habit then, it will be inherent and natural to them when they are adults to partake in charitable activities. The methods of achieving this as suggested by Diane are innovative and logical; a hands-on approach is likely to be instrumental in letting a child learn through actions.

This is because they will be encouraged by curiosity and their inborn compassion to be charitable. This also allows the parents a chance to guide and even directly, help the child participate in charity work.Moreover, using the child’s allowances would be quite an ingenious method since as they grow old they will have money and will be able to manage it well for their own use and also put aside some for charity. This is in view of the fact that they were taught their responsibility to set-aside some money to help needy people at an early age.

Seizing opportunities to be charitable and educate kids on the importance of the same, leading by example and telling the children the importance of their charitable acts helps them appreciate the importance of giving. It gives the parents a chance to inspire their kids who watch them and get inspired by them. However, I do not agree with the writer’s assumption that the parents will benefit more from the children’s learning to be charitable, while this may hold true in the short run, ultimately it is the children themselves and society that will benefit most.

Works CitedHarris, Diane. Teaching Your Child Charity. Parenting. n.d