Gratitude/Social Awareness

[jojosmommy]

How do you teach your daycare kids gratitude or social awareness?

This time of year it is especially important as most of my DCK have already told me the thousands of things they are asking Santa for this year .


I am trying something new this year and would love your thoughts on my idea:

This year we are earning some items for Ronald McDonald House. Each kid has a notecard to which they will set a goal of a certain amount of stickers. They will exchange the stickers (after they have appropriately earned them) for things in my basement closet. I have prepurchased items on the Ronald McDonald wish list and marked the items in the closet with a number of stickers (like a price) and the kids will be doing things like reading a book to a younger child, helping to set up a project, being a great leader at group time etc to earn stickers. We have cruized the website and talked about the importance of helping others. Each Friday we will review the stickers earned and those who have enough to purchase items will buy the items and place them in the RMH donation box. This way they earned the item, they set a goal and worked towards it, and they will see their hard work through to donation drop off time.

Anyone have any awesome ideas that kids respond really well to?

[Sugar Magnolia]

That is a super idea! Very thoughtful!

[kendallina]

Last year we did a food drive for the local food pantry and got to tour it and everything...the kids still talk about that (I really should have done it again this year...).

I also have a Thankful Tree where we collect sticks from outside and put them in a vase and decorate them. Then, we talk about all of the things that we're thankful for and write them down on little pieces of paper to tape to our 'tree'. I set out pieces of paper for the families to write on our Thankful trees as well. This year, I'm having each child do a small Thankful tree for them to take home and do with their families or set on their Thanksgiving table.

We also focus our holiday time on giving and being thankful for what we have and talk a lot about our families and who comes for visits, etc. We rarely have a discussion about what we want for Christmas, I usually try to turn it into What we're giving people for Christmas' or Who's coming for Christmas, etc...haha. I just try to frame this entire season to be about giving, I have no idea if it has any effect on the way they think about it, but at the very least it helps them to think a little about it, and it helps remind me what it's all about.

We also make gifts for family members, etc.

I thought about doing adopt a family and asked the preschool families but missed the date to sign up locally...ugh.

[Sunchimes]

I just have one old enough to do anything-she's 27 months. I having trouble getting her to understand about being thankful. I keep using the word, but I've started saying things like "What makes you happy?" I'm putting them up and letting her color them. So far, we have books and mommy.

When do they start understanding "thankful"?

[Blackcat31]

Every year we do a drive for something.

Some agencies, groups etc we have collected for are:

• Food Shelf
• Diaper drive
• Animal Shelter
• Fire Department (Co2 & Carbon Dioxide detectors)
• Toys for Tots
• Care Packages for soldiers
• School Supplies for needy kids

The kids decide what group we are going to do (I give them 2 or 3 choices) and then we set a price limit and collect for the cause.

[Country Kids]

I just have one old enough to do anything-she's 27 months. I having trouble getting her to understand about being thankful. I keep using the word, but I've started saying things like "What makes you happy?" I'm putting them up and letting her color them. So far, we have books and mommy.

When do they start understanding "thankful"?

Believe me, I know where your coming from! I have 3 & 4's in my group and I really don't think they would get any of these things the other gals are doing.

It really makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong-:confused:

[crazydaycarelady]

Every year during the holidays we do some kind of project. We have baked dog biscuits and sold them, donating the $243 to the local shelter. We made cookies and took them to places like the Fire Department and an old folks home. We adopted a deployed soldier one year and sent him packages and cards.

[spud912]

Wow you all do such great things! I do things with my own children but I suppose it never occurred to me to do it with daycare children! I think I will definitely do something this year!

[melskids]

Believe me, I know where your coming from! I have 3 & 4's in my group and I really don't think they would get any of these things the other gals are doing.

It really makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong-:confused:

Young children are naturally self centered and egocentric. They don't really understand thankfulness, gratitude, or even sharing until Kindergarden or even 1st or 2nd grade.

Now, that's not saying we shouldn't expose them to it earlier, right from the start. (Or even year round...why limit it to November?!)

So for me, I always include all the children, even if they are just being pushed around in a stroller at the food pantry, or a simple handprint on a thank you card.

Early exposure, IMO, is a good thing. I would just keep my expectations age appropriate.