This conversation took place the day before Chase's 3rd birthday.
At Christmastime we usually find a family to help out with Christmas gifts. This year our school sponsored some families of needy students and I sponsored a 4-year-old sibling of one of our students. I chose a small child because I wanted to involve Chase this year to try to teach him about the spirit of giving and all that good stuff. I wasn't sure how much he would understand but I really wanted to try.
Now because of confidentiality I didn't actually know who we were sponsoring, but we thought it might help Chase if we had a picture of a kid we could show him. So Brian printed a picture of a random little boy off the internet and we told him this little kid didn't have many things so we were going to buy him some presents for Christmas. On the way to Target I worked hard to explain things to him, pointing out that while he has lots of toys and clothes, some people don't have a lot of things. He seemed to be getting it pretty well and the whole shopping experience was a good one. He helped pick out the items for the little boy, saying things like, "I think the little boy would like this one!" and "Ooh, the little boy would love that!"
On the way home we talked some more about it and in the midst of our conversation Chase said, "Mommy, the little boy doesn't have money?" I was floored. Not once in my explanation of what we were doing did I mention money, because I thought there was no way he would understand that concept. It was all about "stuff" and how Chase has more things than other kids have. How in the world did my 2-year-old understand that the reason the little boy didn't have things was because he didn't have much money? That just blew my mind!
At any rate, he got it. And I was so thrilled he got it. We are so fortunate and I really want to be sure Chase understands and values that, while embracing the concept of giving.
He did so well. The next day we brought him to my school so he could give our organizer the gifts. He handed them right over to her and said, "These are for the little boy." She thanked him and he said something like, "I have lots of stuff. I have trains and cars and balls...."
Talk about a tear-jerker! Man, I love my little boy!
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6 comments:
Isn't it incredible how these little ones just GET things? (Kind of makes you wonder what else they "get" that we don't quite want them to know about yet!) Great story... it definitely shows how he's growing up; kind of goes along with the understanding that you were cleaning b/c someone was coming over!
That's awesome how you included him in it all and how well he did understanding it! wow! Great job to you all :-)
Merry Christmas!
Whoo - I'm all verclempt! Thanks for sharing, we definitely need to get that going at our house next year.
Sooooo, shouldn't it be "conversations with a 3 year old" now? Good story though.
Great story, Christy. He's a smarty pants - and in all the right ways:) Well done.
Jeff, he said it the day before his 3rd birthday (I'm just late in posting)! :)
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