Times of need bring many opportunities to care about others and to teach kids to be generous. Lead your family in helping others who may be struggling right now.

I’d encourage you to sit down and pray about what you want to do as a family. Think about how you can lead by example and practice generosity as a family during the COVID-19 shutdown and recovery period. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Teach Younger Kids Generosity

1. Brainstorm whether your family knows of anyone who is temporarily unemployed or losing business during the shutdown. Think of ways your family can help—money for rent, gift cards to cover groceries or gas, etc. Let your kids chip in financially so they feel a sense of ownership, no matter how small the amount! If they’re younger, they can make a card or color a picture. Then mail the gift!
2. Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have found themselves especially isolated, as many facilities have gone on lockdown for a season. Your kids can write letters or make cards for them. Or if you personally know someone in a facility, make a phone call!
3. Bless the essential workers with gift cards. Many employees are working long hours right now. Buy gift cards in advance to hand out to employees at grocery stores, gas stations, and other businesses to brighten their day and tell them thank you. If you buy the gift cards from local restaurants and coffee shops, it’s a win-win, since you’ll also be able to support struggling businesses.

Adult Children and Generosity

Leaving a legacy of generosity once they’re out of the house means being in tune with their needs from afar! Here are some ideas for exemplifying generosity with adult kids:

4. If you have adult children, they might be the ones in need. If they work in an industry that’s been hard-hit by the shutdown, offer to help financially. Give a just-because gift to help cover groceries, rent, or any expenses they might be struggling to pay in a crisis.
5. If they have young kids, offer to be a “virtual” babysitter during this time when their kids are home for hours on end! The parents will still need to be in the house, but you can entertain your grandkids through video chat! Read a story, do a puppet show, or ask them to show you their toys remotely. Kids love showing off to Grandpa and Grandma!

Whether your kids are at home or away, there are always ways to live generously. Pray and ask God how he would use your generosity as a light during a hard time.

Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published May 8, 2020

Topics: Generosity

ChildrenEveryday GenerosityFamily GenerosityGrandchildrenGrandparents