The beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time. There are new backpacks, new shoes, and new clothes. This is a time when kids compete. It’s also a good time for parents to share a valuable lesson with their children about judging others and compassion.
Kids often don’t know what’s involved in getting them ready for school. They don’t realize what a financial strain it can be on parents.
Children not only need clothes and shoes, but there’s the school supply list to consider. The money needed to get a child started for the school year adds up quickly. If there are two children in the household, the dollar amount doubles. With three children, triple that amount. A parent can become overwhelmed quickly.
Unfortunately, children learn to judge early on. They often judge other children by the brands and types of clothes they wear. Regardless of the saying, the clothes don’t make the man.
A child wearing a tattered pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt doesn’t make him any less important that the child wearing designer jeans and a logo t-shirt.
A health teacher once said, “It doesn’t matter if a person has only one pair of jeans. If that person bathes every day and washes that one pair of jeans every day, they’re just as clean as the person who has five pair of jeans.” I heard my teacher say that when I was in high school. That was a LONG time ago, but it made an impression. How can we pass that kind of thinking onto our children?
Here are a few tips:
Kids often don’t know what’s involved in getting them ready for school. They don’t realize what a financial strain it can be on parents.
Children not only need clothes and shoes, but there’s the school supply list to consider. The money needed to get a child started for the school year adds up quickly. If there are two children in the household, the dollar amount doubles. With three children, triple that amount. A parent can become overwhelmed quickly.
Unfortunately, children learn to judge early on. They often judge other children by the brands and types of clothes they wear. Regardless of the saying, the clothes don’t make the man.
A child wearing a tattered pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt doesn’t make him any less important that the child wearing designer jeans and a logo t-shirt.
A health teacher once said, “It doesn’t matter if a person has only one pair of jeans. If that person bathes every day and washes that one pair of jeans every day, they’re just as clean as the person who has five pair of jeans.” I heard my teacher say that when I was in high school. That was a LONG time ago, but it made an impression. How can we pass that kind of thinking onto our children?
Here are a few tips:
- Talk to your child. Help them understand what compassion is and that they shouldn’t judge other children by the clothes they wear.
- Explain that some families struggle financially and that there are children whose family can’t afford to buy them new clothes for school.
- Explain how it makes a person feel when they’re judged because of their clothes.
Teaching a child to be compassionate pays off. It’s easier to learn not to judge at a young age and it’s a lesson that is often carried throughout our lives.
Clip art courtesy of Original Country Clipart by Lisa
http://www.countryclipart.com/
