Hi, I have a four year old little boy, and I know alot of people are going to think I'm crazy or I shouldn't do it...if you're one of those people...please don't reply...Ok I'm trying to teach my son how to be appreciative of everything he has...I was very poor growing up, and I've made sure he's not had to live like that...he pretty much gets what he wants, and I would like to take him somewhere like a soup kitchen or something like that to show him how things could be/how they are for some people...I want him to be appreciative of what he has...WHERE DO I TAKE HIM?!?!?!?! I would like it to be somewhere that involves children, so he could slightly relate/understand them better...HELP!!!
2007-09-07 16:12:36 · 21 answers · asked by *mad_eh_sun* 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
If you really want to teach him about being appreciative for what he has, you need to stop getting him everything he wants first off. Your example starts at home.
As for volunteering, try www.volunteermatch.org. Just make sure you ask them up front if it is ok if he can come. Soup kitchens may not be the safest place for a 4 year old. And honestly, he may be too young to fully comprehend. You have to judge yourself based on his maturity level. But good for you. Your heart is in the right place!
2007-09-07 16:19:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have a four year old son too.. He doesn't care if his toys come from the mall or a dollar store. They just don't realise the price of things at this age. I can afford to get him whatever he asks for but I don't. I raise my kids to learn responsibility. If you want your son to appreciate things try getting him to do little things like cleaning up his room or feeding the cat/dog, and then reward him at the end of the week if he does what you ask. I think it is a great idea to show him how different his life could be, but right now he won't understand. Maybe try when he is a little older....I hope this helped you a bit.
2007-09-07 16:34:10 · answer #2 · answered by Just Me 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your intentions are good. You're just going about it a bit backwards. Rather than him being appreciative, the message he gets could be that he is better than others and that would defeat your whole effort.
Better to wait until he's a bit older and then have the two of you volunteer for some worthwhile activity. Again, the point isn't to show him how others are so unfortunate. The point is to help him dervie pleasure and satisfaction from helping others. He'll notice on his own that others are less fortunate than he is.
In the meantime, cut back a bit on the giving him everything he wants. An allowance for him to save up to help purchase some of the things he wants also helps him develop a sense of appreciation.
2007-09-07 16:26:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know where you live, but inner city anywhere should work. I live near a town of only 15,000 and we have homeless people. A women's center would be good, there are usually a lot of kids there.
I think you also have to keep in mind that your son is only 4, he probably still believes the world revolves around himself! No matter where you take him, it's a little too early to understand the suffering of other people. He will grow beyond this phase, but I'm sure it will take a few years yet.
2007-09-07 16:23:05 · answer #4 · answered by Jewelsn'all 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a parent too and the first thing I keep in mind is to give my children first what they need, and after that what they want as long as they behave well and do their chores. I grew up in a country that has a lot of needy people. That is the reason why every time we can afford it, we take our children to this beautiful country and show them to live happy with very few material things. You can take him on a volunteer vacation: http://charityguide.org/volunteer/vacations.htm
Or you can go camping with him and show him how simple nature and life can be, or start together sponsoring a child from a poor country and together learn from that child:
http://www.savethechildren.org/
I hope it helps
2007-09-07 16:28:23 · answer #5 · answered by peralta 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is no exact geographical place to show or teach “how to” to children about behavior/attitudes because behaviors can be learned and imitated by what they see and hear from their parents and people around them. Besides, at 4 years old, probably he is too young to think of how lucky he is and how poor the others are..At the moment, let him be like a child, let him enjoy what you could provide him but not to the point of giving everything and spoiling him.
2007-09-07 16:39:13 · answer #6 · answered by still 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not a four year old at a soup kitchen! If you are volunteering it would be ok, but the lesson you seem to want to teach is : Look how far I've come! Look how much I give you!
Teach him by example, volunteer at a soup kitchen regularly, volunteer for Hospice, or a nursing home during game time, or Habitat for Humanity. He will learn how blessed he is by how giving his parents are to the less fortunate.
2007-09-07 16:21:15 · answer #7 · answered by Cheryl P 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Depends where you live. If you lived in Toledo, Ohio for example you could go to this place called Cherry Street Mission. I personally think that your 4 yr old is a little young to be able to fully understand what you are trying to show him. You could call the salvation army and ask them if there is a soup kitchen or homeless shelter around you.
2007-09-07 16:18:39 · answer #8 · answered by Shawna 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, despite the fact that you said for people who disagree with you not to reply (and frankly, I personally think that’s a pretty immature attitude), I’m going to reply anyway.
He’s too young to take to a place for the purpose of viewing poverty. He wouldn’t understand, and even if he did, he’s not old enough to know how to respond/react appropriately. Very young children are very blunt in their questions and comments (they don’t mean to be insensitive, that’s just how they are and they don’t know better). Surely you would not want to risk embarrassing these people who are there for the purpose of eating, not being used as a teaching tool.
I understand your desire to provide your child with those things you didn’t have. I grew up dirt poor and as a result was determine that my children would never do without the things that they *needed*. But I don’t give them everything they want. That’s not how you teach a child to be appreciative/ work for what they want/ understand the value of money/ etc. That's merely teaching a child to *expect* to have everything handed to him/her, and to feel that they deserve it.
2007-09-07 17:28:20 · answer #9 · answered by kp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a great idea, but im not sure that a 4 year old will be ble to understand it, it probably wont really change him, but yea a soup kitchen is ok and mayb driving him through a poor neighborhood
2007-09-07 16:20:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋