Good idea or Bad??

Question

So around Christmas time my son was getting alittle selfish with what he was getting..He would say stuff like...Is that it...I don't like that....or where's the rest of it...(He's only 6) and yes I was getting kinda imbarrest of his reaction to gifts that people where giving him...So to show him how lucky he really is...I made a plan to take him and his brother to a soup kitchen next year on Christmas and serve them supper. Then I will make him pick 3 of his gifts that he has to give away to someone at the kitchen that night. So he can see, not everyone is as fortunate to have what he has. Also to teach him that giving is way more better then receiving...Does n e 1 think this is a good idea or a mean one.

Answer 1

yes i think its a good idea . i wish i had thought of it. not only will it be a good way to teach him values and respect it will give him a sence of charity too. and you will be happy knowing that you have taught a valuable lesson and that you have helped some other poor child have a christmas.
some ppl might disagree but i certainly dont
good thinking xx

Answer 2

BiancaVee is right, why wait until Christmas? Let him see now what some children have to contend with. I started sponsoring a little girl through world vision when my daughters were small so they could learn exactly that lesson. They are all adults or nearly adults now and I sponsor a different child but we all learnt some valuable lessons from the experience. I think the soup kitchen idea is an excellent one though, it will have an even greater impact if he sees real people, living near by, who don't have the privileges he has. Start teaching him that lesson now and by next Christmas you may have a completely different child. The thing I would have reservations about is the giving away of gifts. He will pick his 3 least favourite things and that might upset or offend the people who gave them to him. Perhaps you get him to select something he would like for himself that he can buy as a gift for a disadvantaged child. Maybe a children's hospital might be another good place to take him if they have one that has a visitors scheme.

Good luck, I'm sure it's just a phase anyway.

Answer 3

I think, as stated, he's gonna hate anyone he associates with soup kitchens. Not feel sorry for them at all because the anger will override that.

Not a bad idea overall, I think, but perhaps go a couple time during the year and just help out. Later let them know you will also go on, or near, Christmas. Instead of taking three of his gifts (and "Is that it...I don't like that" or not and he'll hate it or say nasty things like "I didn't want that anyway" while some child is being given the gift, ruining it maybe for that child), in the run-up to Christmas, buy him two less gifts (he won't know the list got shorter) and ask the boys to each pick out one gift to give and pick a third out together. By then, if you encouraged them to spend a little time with the children who could have been present (if any), they might have an idea what might be desired. Or they could be picking things out for adults.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I agree that there is reason for alarm. However, #1-I don't think you should wait until next Christmas to make your point. #2-Perhaps giving away some of his own gifts might be a bit much. Perhaps you could set him up an allowance structure and tell him very close to Xmas that you are taking him out to buy for one of those donation trees. Don't make him spend all his money, but strongly encourage him to be generous. He may surprise you.

The soup kitchen is a great idea-valuable beyond words.

Answer 5

I think that is a good idea, but I think being six well next year he will be 7 the soup kitchen might be a scary place for him. why don't you look into like the Foster care, and calling them and seeing what you can do for the kids there. But your his mom, i'm just don't wanna see him get frightened, I have a 7 year old boy and I can see him being frightened. Also you don't need to wait until Christmas to do something like that with him.

Answer 6

What my mom and I did as a child was to pick names off of a gift giving tree and shop for the items together. I plan on doing the same with my boy when he gets old enough. Honest at 6 the soup kitchen may scare him.

Answer 7

I think its a good one just make sure you talk bout it with him before hand. It would be bad if he went to the soup kitchen with an ungreatful attitude or made a scene about giving toys away in front of the people there.

Try to impress on him that this isnt a punishment either, you dont want to instill in him that charity work is a punishment for bad behavior.

Answer 8

I agree you don't have to wait till Xmas. I saw an episode of Dr. 90210 where the mother of a spoiled 4-year-old girl took her to do some age-appropriate volunteer work making toy bags for underprivileged kids. However, the missing thing was the child actually SEEING the kind of kids she was helping. At 6, that would be more suitable.

Answer 9

That is known as tough love and he'll have a temper tantrum and be upset but it will teach him a very valuable lesson. I think your idea is extremely creative and and you sound like a very bright parent. Man you have no idea how many lazy parents I see that think hitting their kids is going to teach them anything valuable. I don't consider hitting your child to show them you are displeased is valuable because all you are teaching them is to strike out at what they would find displeasing. Sometimes it's necessary to strike but most times there are other answers and you are also teaching that to your child indirectly. There are many values that your child will get out of the way you decided to handle this and I applaud you for standing up to your child which is something that I have been seeing less and less of lately while children become more and more out of control

Answer 10

The homeless need to eat every day as we do, why not now? As well, show him any main street in a major city, i.e. Boston, all of the homeless people and that he should appreciate the little things in life that don't come so easy for some. You could also visit a shelter for the battered and see the children there with their moms and donate some of his old stuff so others can use it...
I think it is a great idea, I am going thru my boys and little girls stuff myself and bringing them to the shelters that have kids in them... and my own clothes as well...