Children suffer the most from this war. Despite all the negative emotions, children try to be helpful. Over the past 11 months, you could see on the Internet thousands of photos with children's "checkpoints", creative evenings to support the military, charity fairs where you can buy charitable dolls, rugs, or drawings, and more. Many parents wonder: "How to involve a child in a useful matter without harming their psyche?" We will tell you about this in the following article.

What is the problem?

"I want to be useful to our defenders," is a common request of children to their parents during this time. But how can this be done? How to find in a child the ability that could turn into a successful and profitable idea? And most importantly - how to delicately talk about the possible failures and disappointments if the initiative does not justify itself and collecting thousands of hryvnias, as in the stories on TV, does not work out?

All these questions make parents think hard. But psychologists reassure that there is a solution.

No competition

The most important thing is to immediately convey to the child the idea that there is no little help. Even 1 hryvnia brings benefits, just like a can of pickles. It is not worth comparing your child with others, let alone setting someone as an example. In this way, you do not motivate the child, but rather deprive them of any desire to express themselves as an individual.

Psychologists recommend taking into account the age of the child. For example, it's better not to involve toddlers under 5 years old in useful activities. But schoolchildren are already capable of realizing the value of the activity they are engaged in. Moreover, they can already do specific tasks such as drawing, knitting, writing poems, etc. The main thing is to choose a safe format that the child would enjoy. Also, remember that charity should take place without coercion.

Parental support is the most valuable

If your child independently expresses a desire to join a common cause, it is worth supporting them, showing that you see them as strong, believe in their success, and celebrate even the smallest victories.

A great idea is to work together with parents. For example, you can bake cookies while your child can color them, draw cards together, sew soft toys, and so on. You can set up a charity stand right in front of your house. The main task of such activity is to give your child a sense of significance, understanding that they are capable of implementing their ideas and can always rely on your help.

After the sale of creative works is finished, it is important to involve your child in the process of directing the funds. If you have the opportunity to personally visit the charity foundation, do it. Let the amount be small, it doesn't matter. Such a contribution is symbolic and emotional.

Once again the most important thing

Great success lies in the fact that your child has a big heart. Don't turn their hobby into a full-time job, as work is for adults. For children, it is primarily a positive experience.

If the funds are being collected by a group of kids, it is worth allocating a common container for them to collect the money, to avoid any disputes about who earned more.

Finally, ensure safety for the children. Unfortunately, there are cases where unscrupulous adults take away the money earned for the soldiers and spend it on their own needs. This is theft that can be avoided by being present.

If your child has not yet expressed any charitable initiatives, you can inspire them with your own example. Tell them about how much good your help brings to the Ukrainian army. Let volunteer activities become a family affair.