Generosity is not just about charity and giving money–we can be generous with our time, our love, our positive attitudes and energy and we can even tie generosity in with forgiveness and having a magnanimous approach to how we deal with other people. As parents, we can model generosity in various aspects of our lives and share with our children an unselfish, humanitarian and broad-minded approach to life.
I know there are many of you who would not think of generosity and broad-mindedness as being cousins. If you look up the word “generous” in the dictionary, however, you get some of the best synonyms and guidelines for positive human behavior: benevolent, liberal, free, philanthropic, charitable–you get the picture. What marvelous character traits and values for us to pass on to our children!
When I think about various ways to model generosity for children, I realize that this character trait can really affect how we approach all manner of our daily doings–the more patient and accepting we are of other people–including ourselves and our children, and the more we allow for the foibles and mishaps of human nature, the more likely it is that our children will learn how to be patient and accepting too. Sure, we can give that extra dollar, send the birthday card, and give the gift but we can also allow someone with less items to step in front of us at the grocery store, share our excess vegetables with the neighbors, and offer to drive the carpool an extra day to soccer practice.
If what they say is true and charity DOES begin at home, then I think teaching our children about the far-reaching influences of generosity belongs in the home as well. There are so many opportunities in the course of the day where we can choose benevolence over any other negatively-inspired emotion or reaction and anticipate that it will set an example for our children (as well as make the world a more pleasant place to live in on a daily basis!)
Also: Paying it Forward