One of the most important attributes I want my child to have is a good, giving heart! To care, to extend her help and to have compassion for other human beings, animals and the world. I want her to grow up to be a kind, good human being.

School teaches them how to read, write and count. They also learn social skills through spending time with friends but character-building comes from consciously performing acts of service for others. This starts at home from a young age! It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children about the importance of giving back to our community, caring for the environment, our world and encouraging them to grow into humble, caring adults.

In my opinion, our kids are never too young to be taught how to be generous in both their time, effort and resources. Here are five simple ways to teach your toddler about generosity and giving back…

Buy chocolate! The Cadbury Dairy Milk Glass & a Half Project encourages South Africans to buy specially wrapped Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bars at their next grocery shop. This act of generosity helps give the precious gift of childhood to orphaned and vulnerable children. Every specially wrapped chocolate bar purchased contributes towards R1-million worth of educational toys, books and games for orphaned and vulnerable children. A toy is more than just a toy to children – they form an integral part of a child’s intellectual, emotional and social development as well as provide comfort and support. Children learn necessary skills through play and it’s for this reason that Cadbury Dairy Milk continues to support this initiative. Especially now, under trying circumstances, toys can offer comfort and support for a stressed child – especially when they have limited access to online learning and resources. Educational toys, books and games support their ability to learn.

Sharing is caring… Before each birthday and Christmas or even once or twice a year, grab a box and head into their playroom and have a chat about how lucky they are to have so many things to play with. Encourage them to sort through their old toys and clothing and ask them what they would like to donate to those who aren’t as fortunate. Involve them in the process right from packing a box and taking it to your nearest children’s home or donation drop off point. Chances are they will be proud to be gifting their old toys to other kids who can now enjoy them.

Recycle! This is probably one of the easiest acts of kindness you can teach your kids on a daily basis. By simply sorting through bottles, plastic, cans and cardboard boxes – recycling teaches kids about the importance of giving back and caring for our earth.

A walk for charity. We are super fortunate to have a number of really great fun runs and walks in our local communities which we can sign up for. Not only is it a healthy outing in the open air for the family to enjoy together but something that helps others at the same time. Your family and close friends could even ‘sponsor them’ for crossing the finish line and they can donate the money raised to the given charity. They will feel so chuffed with themselves!

Donate! There are so many charity baskets at most shops that collect either dog food or nonperishable items for a charity in need. Next time you’re at the shops with your kids get them to choose a bag of dog food or a tin of food to pop into the donation box on the way out. They will love dropping it into the box and feeling like they have given back to the animals or less fortunate.

Post sponsored by Cadbury Dairy Milk Glass & a Half Project