Building A Legacy Of Faith In Your ChildrenSýnishorn

Kindergarten: An Invitation to Generosity

Kindergarten naturally introduces children to a greater level of independence, which can simultaneously elicit fear and pride in parents. Fear because of the potential for negative influences entering a child’s life, but pride because the child is becoming more independent and responsible. Many parents tell us that the first day of kindergarten holds deep joy mixed with a little sadness—it certainly did for us.

It’s important to guard against allowing your world to revolve around your child once he reaches this milestone and steps further into the world outside of home. A child who believes the world revolves around him is in danger of developing a sense of entitlement and a me-focused attitude—both of which are the enemies of generosity. But you have the opportunity to influence and shape your child in powerful ways as he begins this journey into adulthood.

Instead of holding on more tightly and trying to insulate your child from the influences of the world, what if you used his newfound independence to teach him about the needs of others? What if you looked not just at his size but also at his potential to influence this world for good? What if you participated in a project designed to awaken a servant’s heart within him? It would be an amazing beginning to a lifelong faith journey, and kindergarten is the perfect place to start.

Entitlement is a real battle for children in today’s world. It’s challenging to protect them from feeling that they deserve everything they want, but there’s a simple antidote to entitlement: service. It’s never too early to help children look outside of themselves and discover what it is like to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. After all, the call to Christ is the call to serve.

Something special happens when a family serves together. I (Jeremy) will never forget talking to a dad after he and his family returned from a mission trip. “We could have taken twenty trips to Disney World and never experienced the type of closeness I felt serving with my family on this mission trip,” he told me.

A beautiful fellowship takes place when a family serves together, and it’s in that setting you can invite your kindergartner to learn generosity.