Your child’s piggy bank can be a great source of learning. Piggy banks are great teaching tools for teaching kids about saving money but they can also be used for teaching kids compassion. Just imagine how powerful it would be for them to learn that their piggy bank can help stop child hunger!
The Power Of The Piggy Bank
Remember when kids had piggy banks? When I was young, I had two or three “little banks.” They weren’t all pigs, some were sports figures or toy shaped but the thought was still the same. Save a penny here and there, maybe a nickel or a dime on a really good day, and then when you had a buck or two, buy something you really wanted. Simple plan, simple result.
Today, piggy banks aren’t that common. Probably because a penny or two doesn’t buy much and because kids have much more expensive tastes. My eight year old son usually takes pennies for granted because it takes a lot to buy Legos! However, he has learned that it doesn’t take a lot of pennies to buy a little happiness.
Whenever we have some loose change, we put it in our modern version of a piggy bank which is a mason jar drinking mug in our kitchen (we call it the “Money Mason”). That jar fills up pretty quickly with change and we talk about how all that loose change can really create change!
Sometimes we use it for a stamp or some gum or maybe grab some quarters when we are in a pinch but more often that not, we use it for food. Not food for ourselves but food for people we don’t know. Let me explain.
Teaching Kids Compassion- Childhood Hunger Statistics
As a parent, imagining a hungry child is just plain sad. Hunger is especially harmful to children because good nutrition is critical to a child’s development. Hunger can have serious impact a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity.
Is childhood hunger really a problem? YES!! The 2014 government census showed that 46.7 million people live in poverty, including 15.5 million children. Child hunger in the US is real. In The United States, 1 in 7 people struggles with hunger. It is hard for me to even imagine that. Here is a great toolkit I found for talking to your child about hunger.
Your Child’s Piggy Bank CAN Help Stop Child Hunger
My son and I decided to step in and make a small difference. The change in our Money Mason piggy bank can buy real meals for families in need. We discovered the best way to make an impact was to donate to Feeding America because for every dollar donated, the Feeding America network of food banks distributes 11 meals to people facing hunger! Your child’s piggy bank really can help stop child hunger and make a big difference. Of course, my son was excited about that. Not only is letting him give good for teaching compassion, it is also empowering and shows him he can make a difference!
You can take your coins to a local Coinstar (located in many grocery stores) and they let you select to donate to a charity of your choice or you can go online at feedingamerica.org and donate that way.
This is a win-win situation for everyone. Our loose change goes to a great cause, a few people in need get something to eat, and my young son learns the true meaning behind sharing and helping and giving.
He knows he is fortunate to have food for meals everyday but he now also realizes that not every adult and child shares his good fortune. We aren’t really doing anything that grand, but we are making a difference to help end childhood hunger. Imagine if we all saved a few cents everyday to help someone get a meal. What a difference we could all make to stop child hunger!
How do you go about teaching kids compassion? Does your child have a piggy bank? Do you think your child would feel good about giving to help stop child hunger?
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Louise says
What a wonderful idea!
And my 6-year-old totally has a piggy bank.
Korinna says
Hello Rob,
What a perfect way to teach kids the importance of saving as well as helping those who are less fortunate than us! This is a great alternative to Scarlet’s post “Teaching Children to Donate to Charity.” I love what you are doing so please keep up the great work.