The Science
of Giving
and How It Can Help Your Kids
By Sandi Schwartz
CHILDREN WERE BORN TO GIVE
Believe it or not, children enter this
world with a natural instinct to be
compassionate to others. Scientists at
the Max Planck Institute discovered that
infants help others even though they
are too young to have learned about
being kind and polite. The children take
action because of their own motivation,
and not because they expect a reward.

Actually, humans have evolved over
time to be compassionate, and our
brains are now wired to respond to
those who are suffering. Kindness
has become a “survival of the fittest”
trait, as Charles Darwin even advised
24 November 2018 washingtonFAMILY.com
that “communities which included
the greatest number of the most
sympathetic members would flourish
best, and rear the greatest number of
offspring.” In other words, the better
we get along and help each other out,
the more successful our society will be.

Do children continue to show
compassion as they grow? A
breakthrough study by psychologists,
posted online by the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), determined that young
children are happier to give than to
receive. Toddlers who were asked to
give away their own treats expressed
greater happiness when they shared
with others. The researchers interpreted
the results of this study to mean that
anytime people participate in pro-
social behavior, such as volunteering
and giving charitable donations, we
experience an increase in happiness.

Children have the foundation to
be kind, but it’s our job as parents
to continue to nurture this part of
them as they grow. If we neglect to
do so, negative life experiences can
unfortunately tear down this beautiful
instinct. 5 WAYS GIVING TRANSFORMS
OUR KIDS
1. BOOSTS HAPPINESS
When we make others happy by giving
a gift or our support, we experience a
physiological change called a helper’s
high. It is a euphoric physical sensation
resulting from our brain releasing
chemicals called endorphins. According
to Psychology Today, the helper’s
high is a literal “high,” similar to a
drug-induced sensation. It makes us
feel good naturally, giving us a rush
that leaves us elated and excited. This
positive energy is similar to how we
feel after exercising.

2. IMPROVES HEALTH
In his book, “Why Good Things
Happen to Good People,” Stephen Post,
a professor of preventative medicine
explains that giving to others has been
ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/MYKOLA SOSIUKIN
W ant to really make your
kids happy? Teach them the
importance of giving to others.

Contrary to common belief that kids
need and want more “stuff” to be
happy, science tells us that it is the act
of giving to others that actually boosts
happiness and can even improve health
and other areas of their lives.