When in a child’s life should they be introduced to the importance of giving? The process should begin when they are toddlers. We must teach our children to share and to be kind to others. For example, children should be taught to share their toys with their friends. The sooner a child understands that there are others in need, the better the chances are that child will grow up to become a giving person for a lifetime. As the child gets older, those early lessons will resonate. How did your parents instill those values in you? My father was a music teacher, and he taught in public schools all of his life. My mother was a homemaker. Together, they stressed life-long learning and giving and had plenty to teach. My parents sent me to Catholic schools, where the nuns taught us to give to and care for the underserved. However, all religions teach the importance of giving. At Catholic school, we talked a lot about charity, philanthropy and sharing with those who had less than we did. In Judaism, the Torah teaches about giving. In the Muslim faith, the Koran also highlights the goodness of giving. Religion calls us to be charitable, something the next generations must always know.
How have you passed along your experiences to your own children? Our two daughters, Elizabeth and Jacqueline, were raised in a giving environment. In fact, they introduced me to the Southampton Animal Shelter. The girls were animal lovers since they could walk, and their enthusiasm for helping dogs, cats and other creatures was infectious. Elizabeth also founded a nonprofit with her friend. It is called Global Strays and focuses on making grants to animal welfare organizations in developing nations. What happens if we fail to mentor the younger generations to be giving and embrace charity work? The system begins to fall apart. We need to raise people who can learn to give back and who can teach the same. The cycle of philanthropy must go on. •
It is also the duty of the schools to teach our children the importance of giving.
Christine Stoddard is a writer, artist, and the founding editor of Quail Bell Magazine. She has authored multiple collections of fiction and poetry, as well as the nonfiction book, Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia (The History Press). Her words and images have appeared in Marie Claire, The Huffington Post, Bustle, The New York Transit Museum, and elsewhere. She is a graduate Connor Art Fellow at the City College of New York. James Bernstein is a veteran writer and reporter who spent 30 years of his career working for Newsday. He is now a freelance writer and an adjunct professor of communications at Farmingdale State College on Long Island.
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