Solidarity is a very important value in our development as people who belong to a society, and obviously the best way to understand its meaning -especially when we are children- is to put it into practice. This time of year is fantastic for precisely that: the arrival of Santa Claus and the Three Kings usually means the arrival of new toys at home, so it is a fantastic opportunity to donate to children in vulnerable situations. If we also involve our children, we are teaching them to relate with empathy , humility and respect .
1. They will learn the meaning of solidarity
Understanding the concept that “I have things that I do not use and that others need” is difficult (even for many adults), so if we teach them through experience, it will be more understandable to them.
In my case, I show them images of distant towns in my country, and I tell them that the parents of those children work a lot, but that they are so far away that there are no toy stores there and no Santa Claus arrives, so there are adults who organize and stay they see that these children also receive toys for Christmas. They are too small to understand the meaning of poverty and wealth, but as a resource it comes in handy for them to understand that there are children who do not receive toys on these dates and that it is important to share, especially if we do it with people we do not know.
2. They will understand in a more practical way the value of things
Today children receive so much (and not only during Christmas), that we are destroying their capacity for wonder and value what they have. By chatting about the act that we are going to do and how important it is to the children who will receive these toys, we are teaching that things can still be very useful even though we don’t use them , and that when we have them effortlessly, we end up with not be aware of it.
3. They will value the toys they have more.
This exercise also gives rise to a dialogue about the care that we should give to the toys, because later on they may no longer want it, but there will be another girl or boy who can adopt it and continue playing with it. I usually tell them that this toy will be very happy making another child who needs it happy.
That is why it is important that the toys we donate are in perfect condition , so we can clean them together, verify that no parts are missing and if they are stuffed animals they should be washed beforehand.
It is said that solidarity has a therapeutic effect because knowing that you are doing something for another person provides you with well-being. Let us also give that tool to our children, show them that they are lucky and that with small gestures, we can do good things for others and be useful to the people who need it most.
In Babies and More | Seven keys to teaching children to share
Image | jcomp
