Teaching Children About Compassion {#1000Speak}

Compassion. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary it is "a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc."  Today, however, I'm going to define compassion by telling you a story. 

I have three daughters. They have a cousin, A, whom they have never even met. You see, A has Mitochondrial disease - a genetic condition that prevents his muscles from processing energy normally. At age 12, he weighs a scarce 35-ish pounds, is wheelchair bound, and receives his nutrition through a feeding tube. In just over a decade, he has been under anesthesia countless times and had more "procedures" than any adult I know. Yet, he smiles. 

Not quite a year ago, he had a very serious surgery. There were complications and he spent weeks in the hospital. As I followed his progress via Facebook and email, I shared with my girls what was happening. They wanted desperately to help. My youngest even cried and prayed for A. There simply wasn't much to be done, though. Especially by children from a distance. I told the girls the best thing they could do was help the Mitochondrial Disease Foundation so more research could be done to help A and other children like him. I told them about a walkathon A's family does every year to raise money and awareness. Immediately, my girls were on board. 

After some discussion, they decided on doing a bake sale to raise money to donate to A's walkathon team. They spent weeks planning. They enlisted the help of both grandmothers and carefully decided on a menu. They called store after store requesting permission to set up shop. They were repeatedly turned down, but they were not deterred and finally got a "Yes!" On the day of their sale, they set up a table, sold their wares, and informed customers about their cause. They raised over $200 and donated every penny to A's team. 

THAT, friends, is compassion at its finest as demonstrated by three little girls. 

Truly, these girls amaze me. Not only have they done this bake sale, they have had a lemonade stand to raise money to save the whales and they have asked birthday party guests to donate everything from dog food for the local animal shelter to toys for Toys for Tots instead of bringing gifts for them. A lot of their compassion comes from within - an innate gift from a power much higher than me. 

However, I like to think that, as their mom, I do have some part in teaching them how and why to care for others. In a world where there is so much violence and hate, I worry about what the future holds; what the world will be like for these precious girls when they are raising their own families. I hope that I can show my girls a better way. I hope I can teach them to be caring and benevolent. I know I'm trying. Here are some suggestions that might help other parents do the same. 

1. Give children the opportunity to practice compassion - You have heard these suggestions before, but, like anything, children need to DO compassion to really understand it. Involve them in choosing toys to donate during the holidays or purchasing canned goods to give to a food bank. Have them make cards for someone who is sick or lat them help you cook a meal for your neighbor with the new baby. There are so many ways that even kids can help others.
2. Manners - I live in "The South" and manners are big deal here, but shouldn't they be everywhere?? An act as simple as holding the door for someone shows you care for them enough to make sure the door does't smack them in the face. While waiting at a restaurant, I have made my girls get up and give their seat to an elderly person. It's a simple act of "good manners" that can mean so much to someone else.
3. Read to them - There are lots of great books that can help children learn about compassion. Some of my favorites are The Lady In The Box (Ann McGovern), A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Phillip Stead), The Pine Tree Parable (Liz Curtis Higgs), and Have You Filled A Bucket Today? (Carol McCord).
4. Support Their Cause - When your kids find something they care about, like perhaps having a bake sale to help their cousin, get on board! It may not be convenient or easy, but you have to support the things for which they have a passion.
5. Model it - As a former teacher and a mom, I love the poem below. It is a HUGE responsibility to raise children who will become virtuous, compassionate adults. We can read a million books, but if we don't model it, they will never learn it. 

If children live in a world of compassion, they will learn to be compassionate people. 

Tweet: Teaching Kids About Compassion - #1000Speak - @TheGoldenSpoons - http://ctt.ec/2X67C+

Today, February 20, 2015, I am proud to be participating in the 1000Voices Speak for Compassion campaign. Over 1,000 bloggers, writers, and video makers from all around the world are coming together to speak about compassion in an effort to to make the world a little nicer. Want to join us? 

To read more compassion posts, visit the link up on any of the following blogs:

Indian American Mom 

Finding Ninee 

The Qwiet Muse

Chronically Sick Manic Mother 

Just Gene'O 

Driftwood Gardens 

Getting Literal 

The Meaning of Me

Ravings From Iliria 

Head-Heart-Health

Considerings 

Yvonne Spence 

Little Miss Wordy

Pen Paper Pad