RAISING COMPASSIONATE CHILDREN

It is important to raise children in a tradition of compassion from the time that they are small. Always be on the alert for examples you can take from your life that the whole family can participate in and work on being more compassionate individuals. The list of such possibilities is really endless, from the time that children are small.

Here are some suggestions for acts of compassion and random acts of kindness.

When going grocery shopping, send a small child to an elderly or invalid neighbor's home to ask what they would like you to pick up or if they would like to come along.

After a winter snowstorm, send a slightly older child over to an elderly or invalid neighbor's home to see if they can shovel the snow for no charge.

In the summer, send an intermediate child to an elderly or invalid neighbor's home to see if they can cut the grass at no charge.

Teach your children this cardinal rule of panhandling: If someone needs money badly enough to ask a stranger for it on the street, give them what you can. Don't question their motives or excuse. They don't matter. They need the money and you have it. This way everyone can always feel good about giving without ever wondering if they are a sucker.

If you can't bring yourself to bring home a cold homeless person this winter, volunteer for PADS, a neighborhood group that provides shelters in churches for the homeless. Older children may also be able to volunteer.

As a family, do the declutter boogie one Saturday afternoon. Put on some fast and furious music and set out three big boxes. One box is for the things that belong in another room that the one you are currently decluttering. One box is for junk that needs to be thrown away. And the last box is for contributions to the local thrift store or Good Will pick up. One room at a time, the house gets cleaned and the children get excited about sharing their possessions with less fortunate others.

Other recycling group efforts include your local Freecycle Recycling Community effort. This is for larger objects such as furniture or large groups of objects. The whole family can get into the thrill of posting an ad in the freecycling digest saying what the items are and where they will be left. Then the family can wait and watch for the grateful receiver to place their thank you ad. It's a good feeling and less clutter for you.

Next time you are on a toll road, give a little kid a thrill by allowing them to pay the toll of the car behind you. They will begin to learn how to do a random act of kindness without being thanked.

If you know someone who doesn't drive in your church or community has recently lost a dear one, volunteer to drive them as a family to the cemetary. Bring flowers.

Point out acts of compassion and random acts of kindness that others do for your family. "Look, that man is holding the door for us." "That lady gave up her seat on the bus so we could all sit together." Teach them to show their appreciation.

Pack extra snacks in the kids' lunches so they can share them at school.

When there is a canned food drive, let the kids gather the food.

Impress on children the need to look out for younger children they see bullied or taken advantage of.

If your family is Christian, read Bible stories about the kindness of Jesus as an example for the children.

Be sure that Mom and Dad do their best to model compassion and random acts of kindness.