A couple months ago, I posted this review of Mrs. Goodbee’s Caring Sharing Home.  The dollhouse is great, and it’s designed to help kids learn about sharing with other people. To that end, the folks at Caring Corners sent us two dollhouses – one for Kate, and one for us to give away to someone who needed it. Honestly, I struggled with the “giving away” part. Not that I didn’t want to do it – I loved the idea – but just that I wanted to make it a meaningful experience for Kate, and I wasn’t quite sure how to do that. I wanted her to be a part of giving away the dollhouse, but realistically I knew that it would be most helpful to parents to be able to give their child as a Christmas gift. Also, I wanted to keep the dignity of the recipient in mind as well.

I decided to talk to Pam, the woman at our church who runs the food pantry for our community. Immediately, she knew of a family who could use the dollhouse. Since Kate and I wouldn’t be directly involved in giving the dollhouse to the little girl, Pam and I decided that it would be good if Kate and I could bring the dollhouse to the food pantry, so that Kate could see the food on the shelves and Pam could explain to her what it was and why it was there. When we got there, Kate was a little nervous, and was pretty quiet (which is NOT like her!). As Pam showed us the rows of cans and talked about the struggle to fill the community’s needs, Kate stayed right by my side. It was a sobering experience for me, without a doubt, to get a glimpse of the difficulties people face right there in our little town.

When we got the dollhouse out, though, Kate warmed right up. She began to show Pam all the features, what it does (she made sure to talk about the sound of the toilet flushing!), and how much she likes it. Pam thanked her and told her that it was going to make a great Christmas present for another girl Kate’s age. As we drove home, Kate and I talked about why we sometimes bring food to church for the pantry, and the fact that the outgrown scarves, hats and gloves we had rounded up the week before had gone to the pantry and would be given to kids who didn’t have any. We all know that kids learn best by doing, and I think Kate learned a lot from our experience that day. It was a great reminder to me, as well, that Andy and I need to involve our kids in the small ways we give back. A big thanks to Caring Corners and Rookie Moms for inviting me and Kate to take part in such a great program. It was a wonderful experience for my daughter, and for me as well. Thank you!