Charity begins at home. There is no better time of the year to teach our children about the importance of charity than during the month of Ramadan. Get started this year and make a habit out of it.
The month of charity is right around the corner!
It’s that time of year all over the Gulf region. All homes are preparing for the Holy Month of Ramadan. Even though not everybody participates in the fasting aspect of this month. The charity aspect of it can be done by anyone and everyone. With this charitable spirit spreading all over, it can be a great time for our children to learn about charity. Why we do it, and who it affects and benefits.
Why teach children all about charity?
Teaching children about charity from a young age can teach them gratitude and appreciation of what they have. It exposes them to some realities in the world. In addition, it invokes their sympathy, compassion and empathy. Charity teaches children the value of every little help and that their contribution can make a big difference in someone’s life. Their self-esteem can be boosted through knowing that their own little contribution helped someone.
While it can be difficult for some children to grasp the concept, visuals can be very important to help children understand it. And while there are disturbing images out there, there are also visuals that are suitable to show your children. Dubai Cares is a great example as well as Unicef.
A suitable age to start talking about charity is around the age of four or five. Basically when the child can understand the concept that not everybody is as fortunate as each other. Along with that there are children in the world who don’t have as many toys and clothes. And so, they need help from kind people around the world.
Here are some Mumzworld ideas for getting your kids involved in gathering for charity:
- Have your children go through their toys and clothes with you. Check what they haven’t used in a long time or what they have grown out of is a great way for a clean out. Keep reminding them of toys long forgotten and collecting for children in need.
- Another great way to be charitable is to donate money. While having children donate all their allowance is a little extreme, perhaps if you ask them to donate a small part of their allowance to charity it would be more acceptable. This can teach them the value of money.
- Going on a coin hunt around the house can also be fun and get a surprising amount for the charity box!
