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What is your favorite Christmas memory from childhood? I smile every time I remember freezing my rear-end off while living off of fast food and staying up way later than I was normally allowed – with my parents!
We weren’t out decking the halls or going to parties. My parents were Salvation Army ministers and every Christmas I got to serve right by their sides. We would drive around collecting kettles, put together food boxes, and count donation money together long into the night. It was chaotic, and exhausting. And fun. And beautiful. I got the chance to see, from an early age, what it meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth.
Now is the perfect time to start building happy memories with your own kids while teaching them how great it is to serve others.
Why do we teach our kids to serve others?
If you’ve spent any time around toddlers you know their favorite word, “Mine!” If they see it, it’s theirs. If they want it, it’s theirs. It doesn’t really matter to them that another kid is playing with it.
Toddlers aren’t trying to be mean. They are just inherently self-centered. It’s how their little brains are wired. It’s only with maturity (physical and spiritual) and real effort on our part that they grow into people who will create a kind and caring world.
Teaching Service Makes a Better World
Imagine a world where everyone responds with kindness first. Where people look for ways to help each other. Wouldn’t it be beautiful to live in a place like that? While nothing on this side of Heaven is going to be perfect, we can still have a world filled with compassion and love for each other .
I have great news for you. As parents we get to help create this! When we serve side-by-side with our kids from an early age we help to grow adults who see helping others as a good, normal, and beautiful thing to do. That’s the kind of world we all want to live in.
We Are Called to Serve
The best reason to teach our kids to serve is that God tells us to! We get to show our kids how to live out our Biblical callings by teaching them about serving.
Jesus made it abundantly clear in Matthew 7:12, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (NLT) We get to be a blessing to others, showing them kindness and love, just like we would want them to do for us.
Not only will our kids see the importance of serving, they’ll have a blast doing it. At 8 I loved running back and forth across the crowded warehouse, fetching food boxes and gifts. It was surprisingly fun!
How can we teach our kids to serve?
A few years ago I started a garden for the first time. I’m talking full-on, seed starting trays and browsing plant catalogs. I practically jumped for joy when those first tiny shoots popped out of the soil, then watched them grow and develop as I cared for them.
Teaching kids why service matters is like that first step in gardening. You planted those precious seeds. Just like the plants that I grew in my garden, you get to feed and water those kernels to help them flourish into hearts that want to serve.
We can tend these beautiful little plants by teaching our kids how they can live out service in their everyday lives. You don’t need special training or elaborate opportunities to make it happen. All you need is a simple, fun plan to help your kids look beyond themselves and discover the joy of helping others.
Let’s look at a couple of easy ways to encourage this kind of heart in our kids.
Being Observant
Just about every week in my house someone in my house says, “If it had been a snake it would have bitten you!” Why? Because sometimes we humans can be a bit oblivious to our surroundings. I’m convinced that the most common reason people don’t jump in to help others more is that they genuinely don’t notice the need. It’s not out of malice, or a lack of empathy. We just live in a busy and distracting world and miss seeing things.
The first step – teaching our kids to be observant. We know that kids learn best through play, so turn it into a game! Try playing ‘Helper Hunter’ the next time you’re out. Give everyone the job of being on the hunt for people who might need help, like a baby who dropped his toy or a busy mom who needs help cleaning up a spill.
Want to make it even more fun? I’ve created a free Helper Hunter Journal page your kids can use to track their “helper finds” with simple check-boxes. Sign up for my email newsletter and I’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Following Through
Have you ever noticed a text message from a friend, meant to respond to it, then forgotten about it for the next two weeks? Yeah, me too! We meant well, we noticed what needed to be done, but we forgot to follow through on it. Our kids are no different. They go to the hall to grab their shoes and get distracted by a favorite toy. Or they start to eat their lunch and get distracted by a show. They know what they need to do but forget to see it through.
Once we’ve taught our kids to notice what needs to be done we can add the next step, following through and actually helping with things. There are plenty of opportunities for kids to practice this right at home! Take Helper Hunter to the next level by playing it at home and having your kids use the Helper Hunter Journal to track how they serve others in the family.
Where Can My Kids Serve
I remember when my kids were little wondering where on earth we could even be of service. I had a gaggle of tiny humans who, however well-intentioned they were, tended to wreak as much havoc as they offered help. All the opportunities I could think of seemed geared towards teenagers and adults, and that felt like a lifetime away from the alphabet songs and Elmo’s World of my life at the time.
Wrong! There are countless ways for kids to make a difference. Opportunities to serve are all around us, we just have to get a little creative to find them!
Check Your Circle
You have an amazing circle of people in your life who can provide you with ways to bless others. Do you have a neighbor who could use some help with yardwork? Your kids can pull weeds, plant flowers, and water plants. If your church (or another nearby) has a backpack lunch program or school supply drive, your kids could help collect donations. Are your kids in any clubs? Many offer group days of service that your kids can participate in. Nothing has to be big or elaborate.
There are two keys to finding service options in your life. First, be observant just like you’re teaching your kids to be. Keep your eyes open for people in your life who could use a helping hand or some cheering up. Second, ask around. Ask people at your church, work, clubs, and sports teams if they have anything planned. You can even suggest ideas for ways you can serve together!
Follow Their Interests
I once had a professor who told us, “God’s will for your life is where your passions and the world’s needs intersect.” So, what do your kids love to do? Are they budding artists, future bakers, or builders in the making? Lay the foundation for future serving opportunities by teaching your kids to use their God-given interests and skills to help people.
If your kids love to bake, have them help you make cookies or granola bars for your church staff. There are many elderly people in nursing homes who have little to no contact with family who would love a hand-drawn card from your future artist. Kids who can’t get enough of playing with construction toys could sand and paint wooden blocks for kids living in shelters, or help to build bird feeders for community gardens.
Help Inspire a Heart of Service
We all want to live in a world filled with compassionate and empathetic people. As parents we can help make that happen! What we do with our kids matters. When we intentionally work to teach our kids about service and help them to understand that God wants them to care for His people, we help to build a world of people who care about their fellow man!
This article was written by Heather Gonzales at Fearless Faithful Mom.
Heather is a Christian, wife, Mom to 5, and a homeschooler. She writes about helping moms fearlessly embrace the challenges of motherhood. Her site includes help for homeschoolers, encouragement for the journey of motherhood, and gluten-free and allergy-friendly recipes. You can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
