Teach your kids to make a difference

Web exclusive: 5 ways to get kids involved in helping the homeless, PLUS tips for the office.

The clothes looked as if they hadn't left his body in weeks. His pants were torn and a tattered scarf hung around his neck like a piece of frayed rope. He was trying to keep warm in the bitter cold, but these clothes couldn't do the job. It would have been easy to walk past this man's slightly outstretched hands; we were impatient kids, especially on this occasion as it was mere days before Christmas. We pulled at our mother to move into a nearby mall where brightly lit Christmas trees and carollers beckoned us. But Mom was in no hurry. "Hello. How are you and what is your name?" she asked the man. With genuine caring, she also asked if it had been cold the night before. Then she gave him some change and wished him a happy holiday.

It wasn't the first time our mom had done this, but still we never thought twice about her kind gestures. It wasn't until we saw others cross the street to avoid a homeless person that we realized just how special her simple actions really were. Years later, we also understood the lesson she was teaching us: By not being a passive bystander and acknowledging other people's plight, we respect them and see their humanity -- no matter who they are.

Children CAN make a difference
It's natural to shield children from situations in which they feel helpless. But this can reinforce the idea that children can't make a difference. In an effort to protect, we unwittingly encourage children to close their eyes and hearts to the suffering of others. And that's how we nurture passive bystanders (young citizens who remain on the sidelines of society and accept things the way they are), which world leaders say poses a significant problem to society today.

Indeed, a few years ago we attended an international conference with some of the greatest thinkers of our time, including the Dalai Lama. These learned individuals said that they believed the greatest potential threat facing our world was not terrorism, but that we were raising a generation of passive bystanders. Why? Because doing nothing means you are part of the problem instead of a solution, and if everyone remains a passive bystander, the problems in our world will only worsen.

You are your child's teacher
Your children follow your example. If you avert your eyes to -- and walk by -- issues such as homelessness, so will they. But, like in our mother's case, if you stop and acknowledge a homeless person, with words or even a smile, the lessons your children will remember are compassion and that they can make a difference -- no matter how small. These are essential qualities for an active generation with eyes and hearts open to their world.

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