No Forced Sharing = Genuine Generosity

We do not ask the kids to share, and yet they are very generous. A couple examples from Josh just this past week.

Sunday Josh went to a friend's birthday party. Call me a meanie, but I don't buy the kids' friends birthday presents just because. I encourage them to make a card or something meaningful, or think of a gift their friend would like BEFORE we go to the store to be bombarded with options .... Josh made his friend a card, and gave him $8 of his own money since he was turning 8. He also chose to get him a small Angry Bird plush toy, again with his own money.

Later in the week while we were shopping, Josh got a Hershey's bar. He was munching it on the way to the car, talking about how he loved the little rectangles. I was starting to think maybe I should have gotten a treat as well, when he said, "Hey Mom, you want one?" and popped off a little piece as smoothly as if he were on a Mentos commercial. "Yes, thank you! That's very sweet," I replied. "Double sweet," he said, "because I'm being sweet, and the candy is sweet. Want another?" And there he went with the Mentos move again. Little heart breaker.