In The Power of Giving, there is a special section on teaching your children to give. It is one of my favourite pieces. That’s because when children learn to give, it will enhance their relationships, develop their compassion and increase their success in the world. Plus, you should remember, they’ll be the ones deciding on what nursing home to put you into.

A friend told me she was inspired by the section, but her kids were already 18 and 21, living away from home. They were not financially prosperous and not really “givers”. She decided to give each of them $100, which they in turn had to donate to a charity of their choice.

This was a lot of money to them, and they took their responsibility seriously. They took the time to investigate a lot of charities before making their choices. The older child even became a volunteer for the cause he donated to. A relatively small amount of money was a gift for the charities, a gift to the adult children and a gift to the mom, who was thrilled by the noticeably positive change in her daughter and son.