Do Your Kids Need Money - 1. Giving Tithe and Offering

This is part of a series Do Your Kids Need Money? No and Yes

I wrote about the reasons for giving tithe and offering in a previous post: Maybe you should read this first so if you have questions about giving tithe, you can read my rationale, even if you don't go to church.

This post is about why your kids need money for tithe. I am assuming that you believe in giving, if not, check the link above.

The act of giving does not quite have the same impact if it is not your own money. If it is earned, it is not quite as easy to give it away. The lesson comes with the sacrifice.

Kids need to earn their own money, so that they can practice being generous with it. Some kids will naturally be tightfisted with money (or any small object for that matter), while others may easily give it all away. So it is a skill that is taught.

I teach kids to give tithe when they can count objects to ten. Not just say their numbers to ten, but actually do one to one matching while they count. For some kids, they can have it mastered by 3, while others still struggle until they are 6.

The easiest way is to start with 10 pennies. Count each one. And then go back to #1. Say, "#1 belongs to God." Pick it up and put it in a different pile, jar, or envelope. The you can count out #s 2-10 and sort them however you want.

If you have more than 10, you start over at #1. Every time you say 1, you put it in the pile for God. Even if you only have 11 pennies. There would be 2 pennies for God, and 9 pennies for everything else. If you want to start counting at #2 when you count the next time, you can, but I have never found it possible to give God too much.

But something happens in that little heart when he takes out the money that he has earned with his own two hands, and gives it away without getting anything in return.

It would be easier to just grab some change, or a loose dollar bill from your wallet to give to your kid for when that offering plate comes by, but we didn't sign on to this job because it was the easy job, now did we?

We are teaching our kids about more than just money, we are teaching an attitude of gratitude.

Find more stories of gratitude @ gratituesday with heavenlyhomemakers.