Celebrating compassion with children - Seeds of Change

The holiday season is coming quickly, and sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the rush. We deal with the extra traffic, crowds, and increased advertising just like other parents. Many of us also find ourselves disgusted at how the real holiday message of spiritual compassion gets lost in all of the consumerism. However, if we can take just a few moments to plan for meaningful activities with our children in the weeks to come, the holidays can retain some of their original meaning, even in the midst of seeming chaos.

Consider the ideas below, and gather any necessary materials right away. Place them in a bag in the closet, and then mark your family calendar for the special day you'll spend together! Remember that discussions are meant to engage the child's thought process, inspire creativity, and support the fact that your home is a place where ideas can be expressed freely and respectfully.

* Take a day trip (or an Internet trip) to Farm Sanctuary to visit the animals. You can discuss how grateful the animals are to be able to live in such a loving home. You can talk about how animals appear in your holiday stories (from The Bible, Koran, Torah, etc.), and also how they are used in holidays today. (You will need: transportation, lunch, and/or Internet access.) Website: www.farmsanctuary.org

* Decorate the trees in your yard with popcorn strings for the birds. (You will need: popped popcorn, thread and needle to thread the popcorn, and parental supervision.)

* Make a bird feeder by putting peanut butter on a pinecone, and then rolling it in birdseed. A string can be tied around the top of the pinecone, then onto a branch in view of a window from your house. (You will need: pinecones, birdseed, peanut butter, spatula or spoon, string, scissors, and parental supervision.)

* Gather leaves and pine needles during the late fall, and pretend you are making the bedding that creatures would use for their babies. (You will need: leaves, pine needles, and a bag or basket.)

* Request that each person in the family select a thing or two that s/he would like to donate to families in need during the holiday season. (You will need: unwanted or unused items, a bag.)

* Make a quilt that relates to ideas of compassion of the holiday season with squares specially designed by each person in the family. (You will need: fabric, thread, needles, parental supervision, and someone with sewing ability!)

* Plant a winter garden together as a family, which can be later transplanted outdoors. (You will need: seeds, soil, planting pot, and water.)

* Write Compassion Coupons. Each member of the familywrites down something that s/he is willing to do for another family member, AND something s/he is willing to do for the animals or the environment. (You will need: construction paper, markers, scissors, and parental supervision.)

* Donate a baby basket. Put together a small basket of just a few various items like organic baby food, cruelty-free babyproducts, clothing, socks, etc. Include some written material about the compassionate message of veganism, and donate it to someone in need who has a baby right around the holidays. (You will need: various age-appropriate baby items, written materials like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Vegetarian Starter Kit, or information from Vegetarian Baby and Child magazine, vegsource.com, vegfamily.com, etc.)

* Choose a Charity. Select two or three charities that are cruelty-free, and have your family vote on one to support as a holiday project. You might collect loose change, offer chores to your children for various monetary amounts, or have a garage sale. The money collected will be sent on behalf of your family to the charity selected. (You will need: a little background research on cruelty-free charities, a way to raise money in about a day, an envelope, check for total amount, and stamp.)

* Consider planting a tree (or several) each holiday season. Depending on the climate and type of tree selected, consider starting the seedling indoors and waiting until summer to transplant. (You will need: soil, tree or seedling in a pot.)

* Make homemade wrapping paper. You can use newspapers, pages from magazines or coloring books, brown paper bags, recycled gift wrap, shoe boxes, gift tissue, etc. Consider personalizing with markers, crayons, earth inks, stamps, or paints! (You will need: various papers, washable markers, crayons, stamps, paints, or earth inks, and parental supervision.)

* Consider becoming the guardian of an animal. The animal shelters and humane societies are filled with animals needing safe and warm homes! Be sure to discuss the different types of animals to decide which fits best with your family lifestyle. (You will need: lots of thinking time.)

* Pick a favorite family recipe that was not traditionally vegan and make the necessary modifications. Enjoy the process of making and eating it together, and consider a discussion about how you have benefited the animals and the environment by the switch in ingredients. Bon Appetit! (You will need: old family recipe, necessary ingredients and utensils, and parental supervision.)

Above all, try not to get too concerned with material details. The goal here is to have fun as a family. Happy Holidays!

Dr. Kerrie Saunders is a Master's level psychologist, a Certified Addictions Counselor, a Certified Prevention Consultant, wife, and mother. You can access her multi-media presentation and consultation firm, VeganSpeak, and find her book, The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention, and at www.veganspeak.com.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Vegetarian Baby and Child
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group