Toy Drive

We walk down the store’s aisle selectively reviewing the display of toys. My son and daughter determine which ones to examine more closely as we walk from aisle to aisle. After a little discussion, we have identified two toys for the Salvation Army Toy Drive. My children are young, but one of my parenting goals (and anyone that has read this blog before knows that I have many) is to teach my children empathy and giving at an early age. Fortunately, it is easier than I suspected. When I decided to ask my children to select toys for under-privileged children, I envisioned that my children would want to keep all the toys for themselves or that they would ask for a new toy as well as a toy for the other children. To my surprise, neither of these worries came to fruition.

My children thoughtfully examined each potential gift and readily discarded any that they didn’t feel cut the mustard. I could tell from their expressions that they were taking their responsibility seriously. In reality, I was amazed at their pensive consideration given their young ages. They wanted to give the perfect gift, and that was their focus. What was equally astounding was that they seemed to easily grasp the concept of helping other children. Their little faces turned serious when I explained why the task of selecting toys for other children was an important one. As is often the case, I found myself on the learning side of my planned education moment with my children: my children were teaching me that understanding and compassion can be fostered at any age.

You embark into parenthood believing that you will teach your children much of what they need to know, but in reality, you find that your children teach you just as much as you teach them. It is then that you realize how gratifying it is to learn as well as teach. It is one of the many remarkable and unexpected pleasures of parenthood.

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