Learning About Giving - Operation Christmas Child

I am so excited that Kyle is old enough to learn about giving and gratitude! I've been anxiously awaiting this age, where Matt and I can teach him about being thankful for everything we have, and show him how to give with a joyful heart to those in need. While Matt and I give to several organizations throughout the year, this time of year is when the focus on giving is everywhere, so we decided to start teaching Kyle now!

My MOPS group donates to Operation Christmas Child every year. If you're not familiar with OCC, check it out. They put together shoe boxes of gifts for children all over the world. It's fun to see how many goodies we can fit into a shoe box!

This year, I took Kyle to the store to pick out goodies for his very own shoe box to donate. We had a lot of fun. I was wondering if he'd have a hard time differentiating between gifts for himself and gifts for someone else. But he did great! The hardest part was him understanding that you can't put a big box of Tinker Toys into a small shoe box. :)

Matt, Kyle and I have had conversations about how there are other kids in the world, and even in our town, don't have all the things he has: warm clothes, food to eat any time he wants, socks and shoes, blankets, toys, books, or even a home to live in.

We're not sure if he can really grasp the concept of 'not having.' His world is safe, secure, and full of the things he needs (and wants). I hope he never has to experience the kinds of needs that we all take for granted: food, shelter, and clothing.

Do you have any favorite organizations you give to? I'd love to hear!

Showing off his OCC box!

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