For those who celebrate Christmas in America, December 26 is typically a day of rest. The presents have been opened and the hustle of shopping, cooking, and decorating are over. It’s time to sleep in.
But in a few countries including the UK, Canada and Australia, December 26 is another holiday—Boxing Day.
Thought to have originated in Victorian England, Boxing Day is historically a day to give back to those less fortunate. Gifts and food are “boxed up” and donated to those in need. Today, people host family and friends to activities like brunch on Boxing Day as a way to share what they have.
Boxing Day is a very generous holiday, and the activities done on Boxing Day help children learn about generosity.
While we don’t celebrate Boxing Day in this country, there are many ways to teach your kids how to be generous and make giving a habit. Here are four ways to encourage your children to help others.
Set a Good Example
If your kids are under 7, get them involved in your favorite charitable activities. Studies have shown that interacting with people in need encourages children to be more empathic before they’re old enough to grasp concepts related to giving, such as money, homelessness and hunger. If you currently support organization(s) during the holidays, talk about them at dinner, or bring your kids with you when you make a donation. They’ll be able to make a human connection to your act of kindness, making it more likely to stick as a deed worth doing when they are older.
Talk To Them About It
It’s important to have open conversations with your kids about helping others as they grow up. Explaining the three different types of giving—volunteering time, donating goods or money and lending talent or a pair of hands to a good cause—shows your kids that they have a choice in the way they help others. If your kids are six or older, they can form social connections around volunteering, such as park cleanups or volunteering at a soup kitchen, which can make them feel more committed.
Be Generous With Praise
When your kids take it upon themselves to help others, it’s good to follow up with positive reinforcement. However, instead of just saying “great job,” like you would after they earned a grade on a test, be specific about what you admired about their generous gesture. You might say something like “I’m so glad you chose to donate canned goods to the food drive. Whoever gets them won’t go hungry this holiday season.” Focusing it on how it made the recipient feel—instead of putting yourself in a position of standard-enforcer or role model for giving—will reduce the chance that your child feels patronized or manipulated to do good, a huge part of whether they’ll continue to pay it forward.
Don’t Force It
Perhaps the most important thing to remember (but hard to put into practice) is not to lecture your kids. Forcing them to do what you do instead of asking them for input will make generosity feel like homework, making them less social and more likely to be stingy with their time…and possibly their money. Even if you start by making a once-a-year gesture of goodwill each holiday season, it’s a good way to plant a seed of generosity that will last year round.
