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As a parent, you probably
know that the birthday party
routine can be an almost
painful experience. With
about 20 children in your
child's class, taking your
child to more than one
birthday party in one
weekend can happen quite
often. If you have more than
one child, birthday-party
weekends can take over your
whole life. Finding the best
gift takes hours, wrapping
the gift and preparing the
card is more time. When it
is your child's turn for a
birthday party, do you
really want to put other
parents through the same
routine? Will your child
really appreciate 20
birthday gifts on top of
what you and your family
have already given him? Does
your child really need more
toys?
Teaching our child that it's
just as wonderful to give as
it is to receive is almost
never easy. But once they
understand the concept, the
rewards can last a lifetime.
As a parent, you probably
want to guide your child to
become a healthy and ethical
adult. How can you lead your
child to a healthy future?
What kind of activities can
you do together as a family
that will steer your child
towards becoming a
compassionate adult?
Community service and
Volunteerism are your
answer. Not only will you
show your child that it is
“cool” to care for others,
but it will also be a
wonderful way to get others
involved. You can do just
that with a charity birthday
party.
Firstly, you must discuss
this with your child. You
can't just announce to your
child that some or all of
his gifts will be going to
charity. Avoid bribing and
coercion, the mission is to
get your child enthusiastic
about helping others. I
suggest the following:
1. Know Your Child and How
Much He Can Be Expected to
Give - Just because you are
enthusiastic to give all of
your child's presents to
charity, it doesn't mean
that your child will feel
the same way. Again, don't
coerce your child to have a
charitable party. Discuss
with your child different
ways that his party can
become a means to give and
not only to receive. For
example, The child can keep
half of his presents and the
other half go to charity.
2. Know Your Child and His
Interests– Each child has
interests that can be
converted into a great
giving and charitable
experience. If your child is
interested in art, match
them up with an art charity
(
http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org
). If your child is
interested in homelessness,
match your child's party up
with a homeless shelter.
Once your child is matched
with the right charity, your
child will have a rewarding
charity birthday that he
will always remember.
3. The Actual Events of The
Party Can Be For a
Charitable Purpose – Instead
of giving away your child's
presents, you can consider
holding a charitable project
as the entertainment. For
example, Charity Making and
Stuffing a Teddy Bear
Project (
http://artistshelpingchildren.org/donateteddybears.html
) and donate all of the
teddy bears to a local
pediatric hospital,
orphanage, or shelter.
4. Have Every Child Bring a
Used Toy or Item to Give to
Charity – Instead of having
every child bring a new item
to be donated to charity,
have everyone bring in a
used toy, or other item.
These items can then be
donated to a non-profit
organization. For children
who aren't excited about
having a charity party, you
can have everyone bring in a
small gift for the birthday
child in addition to a used
item.
5. Remember to Still Make
the Event Special for The
Birthday Child – Don't take
all gifts away from your
child. You must allow your
child to still receive gifts
from you, family members,
and other close people in
his life.
6. Meaningful Conversation
First – If our child is
having a difficult time
figuring out what charity he
wants to give to, it might
be a good idea to watch the
news together and see what
sparks your child's
interest. Sometimes seeing
less fortunate people and
suffrage can spark a child
into wanting to give. Also,
bring up social issues and
discuss them with your
child.
7. What Do My Parents Do? –
Children learn by example.
If your child sees you as a
giving individual, they will
be more likely to want to
give of themselves as well.
How can you expect your
child to give up things that
are important to them
without giving items
yourself. Consider doing
something giving at your
birthday every year as well.
Can Having a Charitable
Birthday Party Really Be
Good For My Child?
You bet it can! It has been
proven by researchers that a
child’s self-esteem is
boosted when taking on
altruistic responsibilities.
When children help others,
they will begin to
understand that they have
the strength to make a real
difference in their
world…and this is a great
feeling. Another enormous
benefit of a charitable
birthday party is that a
child will gain a deeper
understanding of the needs
and wants of others.
Researchers have also
noticed that children who
volunteer or give charitably
might gain increased
academic skills, including
critical thinking and
problem solving skills.
Rachel Goldstein runs
Artists Helping Children –
http://www.ArtistsHelpingChildren.org
- A non-profit charity
dedicated to bringing
comfort to children in
hospitals, clinics, and
shelters by brightening
their environment with
murals, artwork, toys, and
art supplies. If you are
interested in getting
involved and volunteering
for us, please email us at
allfreelance@comcast.net
and let us know how you
would like to help. Thanks!
So what are you waiting for?
Get out there and get
involved. Good luck!!
Rachel Goldstein
ArtistsHelpingChildren.org
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