Four Ways Children Can Learn by Giving

With Salvation Army bell-ringers dotting sidewalks around the country, the holidays present ample opportunities to start talking to your kids about the importance of charity.
Below are some ideas on how to parlay your own giving habits into lessons for your children.

• Let them pick the donation. If you're collecting canned goods or toys to donate, let your child pick what to give. Ask him to think it through and explain why a needy person might appreciate the item he chooses.
• Have them do "pro bono" work. If you're doing pro bono work for a charity, let your child know she can donate her time as well. Whether that's helping out an elderly neighbor or volunteering at a nursing home, give your child a few ideas on how she can get involved in the community.
• Take them shopping. Make it a point to bring children along when buying products that give a portion of proceeds back to charity. Explain why you're picking that particular brand, and how purchasing it supports a cause.
• Help them save for a donation. As part of giving your child an allowance, discuss how much he wants to save, spend or donate. If donating hasn't entered the picture yet, the holidays are a good time to introduce the discussion. To make the lesson more tangible, try getting your child started with "Money Savvy Pigs." The piggy banks have separate compartments for savings goals, including one for charity. The pigs are available at msgen.com.

If you want to link the talk to greater money management, introduce them to web sites such as Sense & Dollars, which offers kid-friendly explanations and games about earning, spending and saving.

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