My 4 1/2 year old asked me about a homeless woman asking for money on the street corner as we were at a stoplight the other day. She was just curious about the world around her and had never seen this before, or noticed it before. But, it made me realize what a difficult task it is being a parent and explaining the complexities of real life to a preschooler without making her feel guilty or more confused. I get the simplest answer while still allowing her to feel validated for asking but she asked me later that night, "Do you think that lady found a home tonight?". Children process things slowly and deliberately and sometimes without us really paying attention, especially in a busy world. But, this made me realize that it would be important to follow up with some discussion about our clothes and toys donations to various organizations, engage her more in Toys for Tots and also to model behavior that shows community support and that we care for the people around us. It is easy as an adult to get callous and less caring. But, it is important to develop empathy in our children. This forces us all to be better people. I did a little research and the following organizations are geared towards charity, volunteering and children. Starting this early with children makes it a part of their life without even thinking about it...another wonderful family activity while making the world a better place through community support!http://www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov/kids/
http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/christmas/volunteer.htm
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