4 simple ways to encourage generosity among children

You don’t have to be Gandhi or Mother Teresa to do and inspire good. Small everyday donations count, and a lot, to help others and make this planet a better place. And that’s how you have to deal with your child’s education. Don’t cover up! Give little by little everything he needs to be a generous person.

We all have something to give

It can be money or material goods, which are the most common associations when we think of generosity. But it can also be knowledge, things we know that can help others. It could be a hug, a word of comfort, a caress. After all, generosity is, above all, an inclination of the spirit to do good. Talk to your child and encourage him to share. This is the first step.

practice is necessary

Generosity is a virtue more celebrated than practiced. “It only shines, for the most part, by its absence,” wrote the French philosopher Comte-Sponville. If generosity has become a rare item, some of the blame lies with today’s society, based on values ​​such as selfishness and individualism. “We think a lot about our own navel and little about others”, says philosopher Mario Sergio Cortella.

That is, it is necessary to maintain the habit. Reinforce the frequency of generous attitudes at home. “In a society that asks only that you receive, never give, generosity is a training course”, says existential therapist and professor at PUC-SP, Dulce Critelli.

lead by example

Role models are essential for children to create an image of what it means to be generous. They tend to imitate what they see at home. And if you behave differently than you preach, it confuses the child. And as a consequence there is fear and insecurity.

do not repress

All children go through a selfish phase – and that’s normal. They don’t want to share objects, toys, food… They throw a tantrum and still repel each other socially. And the tip is not to make them afraid or distressed. It is necessary to talk and explain what sharing means and why it is so important. Only then can he fix this idea once and for all.