Article by Brittany Schimke | Photos of the Meier Family by Mackenzie Scheie Photography

What’s the best gift you can give your child this Christmas? The gift of GIVING! The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and cherished family traditions. But beyond the presents and festivities, it also offers a special opportunity to teach children a valuable life lesson: the importance of giving. By encouraging acts of generosity, families can help children understand the impact they can have on others, fostering a spirit of kindness and gratitude that will stay with them forever.

Whether donating toys, volunteering at a local charity, or thoughtfully selecting gifts for those in need, this season offers countless opportunities for families to practice generosity together. By involving children, parents teach them that the true joy of the holidays comes NOT from what we receive but from what we give.

Making Generosity a Family Tradition

Incorporating giving into family traditions teaches children that kindness has lasting value beyond the holiday season. It's about nurturing a heart that seeks to help others—whether through donations, acts of service, or simply extending a hand to a neighbor in need. These experiences create treasured memories while building values that shape their character as they grow.

Numerous organizations offer accessible ways for families to get involved. For children, choosing and donating toys helps them experience the joy of giving firsthand.

The Petersen family, a young Billings family of four, has embraced this tradition. Katrina Petersen explains, “As parents, we want our children to grow up with compassion and gratitude. Every year, we take tags from a ‘Giving Tree,’ pick out toys for Toys for Tots, and fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. It’s a way to help our kids understand that not everyone is as fortunate as us and that giving is a joyful experience. We also encourage our children to give 10% of the money they earn, which has become something they look forward to—whether it’s donating to church or a cause they care about.”

Giving Through Acts of Service  

While donating items is impactful, volunteering teaches children that generosity doesn’t always come in the form of material gifts. Sometimes, the gift of time can be even more meaningful. Families can explore local organizations or simply look for opportunities to help a neighbor. Ashley Hanson, mother of the Hanson family, explains the value of sharing talents: “Being generous with your time, your talents, and your gifts,” She has taught her daughters that giving can mean using their abilities to help others.

Community Leadership & Development Inc. (CLDI), which offers a Christmas store for families on the south side of Billings, is another place where families can volunteer to help other parents in the community shop for Christmas gifts and wrap them.

Billings is home to many local charities that offer families opportunities to get involved. Organizations encourage family involvement through donations and volunteering. These experiences help those in need and create lasting memories for the families who participate.

Thoughtful Giving: Creating Deeper Connections

Thoughtfully selecting gifts for those in need fosters empathy in children. When their kids asked about Santa Claus, the Clevidence family made it a meaningful lesson. “We told them, ‘We are our own Santas. Is there someone in the neighborhood you want to be Santa for?’” After some reflection, the boys knew exactly who needed help. Together, they picked out thoughtful gifts, donned their Santa hats, and delivered the presents anonymously to a neighbor in need. The experience deepened their connection to their neighbor and solidified the meaning of thoughtful giving.

Programs like Operation Christmas Child and the Angel Tree initiative also offer opportunities for families to give thoughtfully. Taking children shopping for shoebox essentials or selecting an Angel Tree tag spread throughout the Billings community brings purpose and personal connection to the act of giving.

For the Wilmot’s, a local family, participating in the Angel Tree has become a central part of their holiday tradition. “Selflessness and putting other people first” is how the Wilmot family of eight is teaching their children the importance of giving. By choosing children of the same age as their own to buy gifts for, they make the experience relatable and fun for their kids. “Our Angel Tree gifts were the most fun gift that we gave at Christmas,” they shared.

Generosity Year-Round

While the holiday season is a natural time for giving, some families prioritize it year-round. The Medina’s, a family of five, believes that giving should extend beyond the holidays. “One of the key values of our family is to love others and invest in people both with our time and our money. We believe that investing our time and money into people shows them they are needed, valued, and worth loving,” explains Mrs. Medina. As part of their practice, the Medina family maintains a giving fund in their monthly budget to help others at any time. “This could be anything from a coffee for three cars behind us in line or a new coat for someone we see who needs it,” she adds. She also shares, “We also serve in our church and around the community with our kids year-round, and our kids have to put away a portion of their allowance each week for their giving fund that they then spend on filling their own Operation Christmas Child boxes during the holidays.”

The Young family, another Billings family of five, has also made giving part of their lifestyle. They began early, participating in Operation Christmas Child and supporting World Vision. At one point, they even chose a child to sponsor with a birthday matching that of one of their children. These experiences helped instill the value of giving in their children from a young age. Mom, Val Young, shared how proud she was when her 14-year-old daughter, without hesitation, gave to Ukrainian campers at a summer camp. It was clear the value of giving was deeply instilled in her, Val explained with proud tears in her eyes.

Building a Legacy of Love and Compassion

In a world that often emphasizes material things, the holiday season provides a special opportunity to teach children that the greatest gifts come from the heart. By weaving acts of kindness into family traditions, we nurture generous hearts and create stronger family bonds.

The most meaningful gift we can give our children is the understanding that love, compassion, and generosity have the power to make the world a better place, one small act at a time.

Originally printed in the November 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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