This Christmas season, I decided to get my shopping done before December so I could spend that month doing things with the boys to teach them the meaning of Christmas, to learn about Advent, to make cookies, to hike up the field and cut a tree instead of having Brian grab one on Rte. 1 on his way home from work. Right up there on this list is teaching them about charity. At 6 1/2, I think Ben, especially, is ready. The other day I took my first stab at it.
Me: Honey, look at this from your school. They're having a toy drive! You can bring a toy to school, and they'll give it to a boy your age who otherwise wouldn't have gotten any Christmas presents.
Ben: Why?
Me: Well, Santa will bring him a few, you know, but his mom and dad don't have enough money to buy him toys.
Ben: I don't want to give away any toys!
Me: No, I didn't ...
Ben: I don't wanna! I'm not giving ANYTHING to ANYBODY.
Me: Ben, listen to me. We will go to the store and buy a toy to give to the boy.
Ben: Oh. Ok. Buying's good. (*begins chanting*) Buying's good and giving's bad. Buying's good and giving's bad! Buying's good and giving's bad!
Clearly, I have my work cut out for me.
1 comments:
Holy Cow! My seven year old daughter is like that. She wouldn't give anything away to save her soul. The older sibling is better but not by much. It's puzzling to me because we "give" a lot and try to set an example by giving to toy drives and picking something "giving" to something/someone of their choice every Holiday season (ex: last year's was sending a care package to a soldier in Iraq, this year it's to a Cat Adoption Shelter). However if they had to part with even the measliest of their belongings you'd think it was a case for Amnesty International.
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