Typhoon "Maring" that hit Metro Manila last Sunday left thousands of families homeless. It was devastating seeing all those people wading through the floods, and seeing them packed in evacuation centers with no food, no home, and some with no loved ones. It's even more sad that this is happening more regularly now.
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| Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/ |
My children, however, were oblivious to all of those things. They were busy with their games, toys, and books. They were clearly enjoying their mini-vacation since classes were canceled.
During that time of calamity, even if we weren't affected directly, I wanted my kids to understand the gravity of the situation and to let them know that there are a lot of ways to help. They don't have to be grown-ups to help.
The opportunity came when my friend, Joyce, organized a group of people to help pack relief goods for the Maring victims in Enderun Colleges. I decided to bring my kids with me. Surprisingly when I mentioned it to them, they were excited to go. I was so thrilled to find my kids so willing to help others.
One of the things I'm learning from other mothers and my reading is how important it is to teach my kids the right values. Many times, we allow ourselves to get pressured into trying to please our kids and give them everything they want. As a mom, I need to find what they really need and give these to them. More than material things, I want them to grow up with lasting lessons that will help them become good people and not spoiled brats. I really want them to learn how to live generously and to be generous to people who may not be able to do anything for them in return. It's easy to be generous to people who you know will give back.
Now I'm thinking of more ways to teach them this. If you have any ideas please share them with me. We don't need another calamity to teach our kids kindness and generosity. We need to teach them now while we have everyday with them.
Below are some photos from the packing.
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| Andres, Joyce & Lucas packing corned beef. Andres was thrilled to wear a chef's jacket. |
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| The boys, at first, fought over who would pack food and who would separate the plastic bags. Eventually, they all packed food and I was left with the plastics. Andres was amazed with the size of this ladle. It was as big as his head..almost. |
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| After packing almost hundreds of corned beef, Tali had to take a break because all the corned beef made her hungry. |
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| The kids watched as the soldiers loaded the food we packed into their Army trucks. |
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| The whole gang, who helped pack food at Enderun Colleges |
Thanks again Joyce!
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