Over lunch I told the 4 year old proudly that I had filled the two charity bags.
4 year old - Who is Charity?
Me - Charity isn't a person. The things in the bags will go to charity shops where they will be sold. The money will go towards helping people.
4 year old - People? Why?
Me - Yes, maybe people who don't have anywhere to live, or people who are poorly. There are lots of people that need help.
4 year old - ... and animals?
Me - Yes, and animals.
4 year old - But Mummy, who is Charity?
The 3 year old who has been listening from the end of the table whilst attacking a peanut butter sandwich, looks thoughtfully at me and says "I don't like the sun".
I get up and bang my head against the wall repeatedly. Well not really, but I may as well have.
Later I found the 4 year old hugging the television. An advert for the Dogs Trust was on. A neglected, scrawny, shivering dog was on the screen accompanied by sad music and a voiceover along the lines of 'Poor Smudge doesn't have anyone to love him, his owner used to beat him with a rusty pitchfork and he only fed him once a year. For just £2 a month you could save Smudge ...'
A letter came home from school the following day ... 'your child can come to school wearing red clothing on Friday and pay a pound for Red Nose Day'. As we have no red clothing I decided to order one of the funky Red Nose Day t-shirts designed by Stella McCartney instead. She chose the Beatles one over the fluffy rabbit one (I was shocked, her father was proud). I then explained that the money we were spending on the t-shirt would go to charity.
4 year old - Do you know what I'd do if I had lots of money?
I got excited; my television hugging, t-shirt wearing 4 year old had finally got the hang of charity and was going to pledge all her imaginary money to those less fortunate than herself.
4 year old - If I had lots of money I'd get a big fat purse to put it all in. It would be very long and very wide.
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12 comments:
*laughs*
How wonderful!
ahhh, well you tried anyway.
xoxox
Ha! She's going to be a character in one if my books some day! :)
He he he! Great answer!
Ha ha! I remember my little brother being totally into money as a kid - being at the check out with him was a nightmare because he would simply scream MONEY! at the top of his lungs and try to lunge for it. I am trying to teach my kids about charity too - every Christmas and before or after every birthday I get together all the toys that either they no longer play with, have grown out of or that get totally on my nerves and bag them up 'for the poor children who don't have any toys'. This led Captain Underpants to wonder out loud when he could possibly be one of those lucky children that was about to receive a sack load of tatty overused shite (actually, it wasn't all in bad condition - not like some of the clothes that I have tried to pass onto charity rather than lob them in the bin. My theory is, you never know, someone might just be more successful at stain removal than I am and far be it from me to stop them giving it a try...)
Well I admire her pragmatic planning - good for her. My youngest has to go dressed in a costume which has something to do with music. God help me ... he says he's going as Elvis.
:-O
x
Mmmm it can all be lost on 4 year olds. I was explaining a cake sale for nursery to mine once. "Mummy bakes the cakes, takes them to nursery, then we all go and buy cakes to raise money for the nursery" To which she said "Why don't you just give them some money?"
Your 4-year-old is a star, and a very sensible one!
I think this is the point where we tell you his conscience is at least raised! (Or have I been in the USA too long?)
A girl after my own heart. Come on now, it's all about the handbags right? Right?
LOL - the next thing she'll do is change her name by depoll....to Charity :-D x
Hehe. Tree hugging is so yesterday...
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