Charity Begins at Home

Newswise — The holidays are a good time for teaching children about giving to others, said UAB early childhood education expert Jerry Aldridge, Ed.D. He said the spark of compassion must be cultivated. "Children generally learn compassion from watching their parents sacrifice for others. Parents should let their children see them visiting a homeless shelter, collecting canned goods or making donations to charity." As children grow older, parents should make sure that they continue talking to them in a positive way about giving. In addition, parents can teach youngsters to be considerate of their own family's financial situation since job losses and other financial hardships may require the family to trim expenses.