Teaching Children The Value Of Giving

For children, the holiday season is all about gifts.  Most of our children and grandchildren have more toys and clothes than they could ever possible enjoy or wear.  So many children, even in our immediate neighbor, have little or nothing.  The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, fire stations and churches and synagogues, have for years addressed the needs of the needy.  Here at Ocean Hills Country Club where I live, our residents concentrate on helping children of military families.

The Wood Chucks club has made dozens of the most beautiful wooden toys, to be given to children in need.  Boats, cars, trucks, airplanes and motorcycles, are just some of the toys they have made.  They've made cradles for dolls and puzzles too.  Additionally, our community has donated hundreds of toys, to be given to Camp Pendleton military families.  I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the residents of Ocean Hills.

I think it's important for our children and grandchildren, who come from families of greater means, to learn to give.  By the time a child is six, and for many even earlier, I  would like to see children giving at least one of their gifts to a needy child.  It's important for them to learn to help those that don't have as much, and to feel good about doing it.  It would be best if they could give personally to a child, but this is not always possible.  There are so many organizations that collect toys and clothes for needy children, it is not hard to make this part of your holiday ritual.  With all we have in this country, no child should go without something this holiday season.