Teach your kids to give (without making it feel like a guilt trip)

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). But if we’re being honest? That’s a hard sell when there are shiny toys, sugar cookies, and wish lists flying around like tinsel in a wind tunnel.

And let’s not pretend it’s just the kids who struggle. We grown-ups get the gimmes, too – just in fancier wrapping. That’s exactly why Christmas Giving exists: to help us (and our families) focus on what really matters.

If you’re trying to raise generous humans but feel as though you’re losing to the glitter and gadgets, here are a few practical (and grace-filled) ways to shift your kids’ focus from getting to giving – not just at Christmas but all year long.

Start small (because small still matters)

Don’t wait for your kids to launch a nonprofit before they learn how to give. One simple act of kindness can snowball into a lifestyle of generosity.

Maybe it’s helping an elderly neighbor rake leaves. Making cards for nursing home residents. Sharing toys they’ve outgrown. When your kids see how even a little effort makes someone else smile, they’ll be more eager to do it again.

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6, ESV). Teach them early: little seeds of kindness grow big fruit.

Keeping it in context: In 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul was speaking to the church at Corinth regarding a gift to meet the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. He told the Corinthians that their giving would not only bless their brothers and sisters in Christ but also the givers, themselves. A two-fold blessing! If you’ve ever given without any expectation of return (and I know you have), you get it.

Model it, yourself (yes, they’re watching)

Kids are expert imitators (remember the time they repeated your “parking lot” words in church?). If you want them to be givers, they need to see you doing it.

Let them watch you donate to a cause. Invite them to help you make a meal for a sick friend. Talk openly about why you give – not for applause but because Jesus gave everything for us.

Taking a cue from Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (ESV) – start training with your own example.

Find other kids doing good

Generosity is contagious – especially when there are cookies involved. Look for volunteer opportunities that include kids: toy drives, food pantries, coat collections, or filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, an organization that sends gift boxes to children all over the world.

If there’s nothing local, start something small. Invite a few friends over for a giving-themed play date: Decorate cards for hospital patients, or bake treats for your local fire department.

Peer pressure isn’t always bad – sometimes it leads to compassion.

Let them take the lead

You don’t have to micromanage their kindness. (Hard, I know.)

Ask your kids how they want to help. Maybe your artist wants to sell Christmas drawings to raise money for a cause. Maybe your bookworm wants to donate her own books. Maybe your Lego lover wants to give his set to a younger kid.

When they choose how to give, they’ll feel more invested – and more likely to do it again. And you will reap a blessing simply by watching how generous your child can be.

Make giving a habit, not a holiday stunt

It’s easy to be generous in December, when everyone’s talking about it. But what about March? Or August? Or when your kid just spent his entire allowance on gummy bears?

Consistency matters. Keep the conversation going all year. Encourage monthly giving jars. Praise acts of kindness when you see them. Remind them that God gave us the ultimate gift – his Son – not just at Christmas, but forever.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17, CSB). Let’s help our kids reflect the Giver.

One final reminder

You’re not just teaching your kids to give. You’re planting seeds of love, gratitude, and gospel truth. Some will sprout slowly. Some will grow wild. But your efforts will bear fruit – because the Holy Spirit does the real growing.

Now go forth, parent of generosity. You’re doing good work.

Even if your kid still asks for a hoverboard.