How Little Ones Can Do Little Things That Make a BIG Impact

Looking for a way to give back and get your children involved but don’t know where to start?  Try www.charitynavigator.org  - which grades charities for you and helps you make an intelligent decision about where and how to get involved. 

“Kids can learn to help others and the environment very early on, provided you make the message age-appropriate,” says Ken Berger, president and CEO of charitynavigator.org. 

Happy Giving!

A Great Way to Bundle Up and Feel Good About Doing So

Fleece is great – warm, perfect for layering, and most importantly, easy to clean.  Did you know that some fleece is also made from recycled plastic bottles? 

In 1993, Patagonia (www.patagonia.com) and Polartec (www.polartec.com) began exploring how to make fleece from recycled content.  It took a few years to get it right, but they are now able to make recycled fabrics at costs comparable to the original. 

Here’s how it works:

-       Recycled plastic bottles are sorted by color, cleaned, and chopped into flakes.

-       The flakes are then melted to create pellets, called polyester chips.  These pellets are then melted and forced through a spinneret to create yarn.

-       The yarn is processed; its molecular bonds are strengthened.

-       Using a circular knitter, the yarn is turned into a cloth, which is then washed, dyed, washed again and split down the middle.  Now it’s a flat piece of fabric.

-       After the fabric is dried, it goes through a brushing process called napping, which makes it soft and fuzzy.  Then the shearing process ensures an even height.

-       The final product is ready for use.  Polartec now offers more than 250 different varieties of fleece fabric.

Pretty cool, right? 

Happy Giving!

At What Age Should We Introduce Philanthropy To Our Children?

This is the question that keeps resurfacing for us.  Should we start teaching our children to give back to the community when they are pre-schoolers?  Why not wait until they are older and can really make a difference? 

Before we start teaching our children about philanthropy, they need to already understand that sharing is a good thing.  This happens pretty early on.  But, children also need to be able to understand that, at this time, there are people that may not be as fortunate as we are and could use our help.  This concept is learned a little later in their development.

I think the better question is:  At what point do children understand empathy?  I say this because once you have learned empathy, you can mentally put yourself in someone else’s situation and understand how they are feeling.  This is the time to start teaching your children little ways they can help others and give back.

This article by Lawrence Kutner, Ph.D talks about how children develop empathy - http://www.drkutner.com/parenting/articles/develop_empathy.html.   Dr. Kutner says that by age 4, children start to associate his/her emotions with the feelings of others; and if they haven’t already learned empathy, they can do so by age 5, by talking about hypothetical situations.  This seems to be the perfect time to start integrating philanthropy and volunteering into your family activities.

Also, children who are empathetic are shown to do better in school, have better social skills, and are more successful as professional adults.  Children who are taught at an early age to think about and help others, will continue to do so in their adult lives and are shown to grow up to be more well-rounded, successful and confident people. 

As a mother of two, that sounds excellent and exactly what I wish for my children.  Let the volunteering begin!

Happy Giving! 

Let's Start Giving!

Welcome to What Gives?, a blog by the founders of Little Givers focusing on all that is good, great and generous in the world of charitable giving, social action and philanthropic activities, all from a kid's perspective.  It's a big world, but little people can and do make a difference!