Giving and Receiving - An Early SEL Lesson

Giving and Receiving

(Source: Week 46, page 199, Superkid Power Guidebook, © 2013, 2019, Janai Mestrovich)

Why this Concept is Important

Times like Christmas and birthdays spur children to look forward to “getting” presents. Giving and receiving become synonymous to presents.  Material gifts are a way to understand the concepts of giving and receiving but can delete a healthy perspective for those who don’t take the understanding any further.

Giving and receiving are partners. To be able to do both gracefully is a wonderful balance to achieve at any age.  When you receive, you are giving the gift of receiving.  The internal feeling of true giving of oneself and true receiving are special kindling for peace of heart and mind.  When ulterior motives enter into either domain – of giving or receiving – the precious purity and resource of both are diminished.  If children can come to know through experience that there is an internal glow present with pure giving and receiving, they will develop a heritage of warmth and closeness which will be priceless in their life journeys.

I taught 20 kindergarten children to connect when giving and receiving with direct eye contact and heart to heart connection. I gave them hats to decorate, handing each Child the hat, having direct eye contact and saying, “I like you and I want to give you this hat to decorate. “Then I asked each child if he or she felt the gift in their hearts from my heart. Every child had direct eye contact and shared they could feel the gift in their heart and the appreciation, saying thank you.

I gave them supplies to create Christmas decorations they could give to family and friends and we sang the following song as they worked on the decorations, “What comes from the Heart goes to the Heart…. What comes from the Heart goes to the Heart.”

It encapsulates the most significant lesson with SUPERKID POWER skills today for the Christmas season. Giving and receiving from the heart.

Teaching children SUPERKID POWER to give and receive, connecting with direct eye contact and heart to heart. It’s not just with presents, but giving the gift of being a good listener and making a comment for acknowledgment, giving and receiving a hug, being there for someone… So many ways to give and receive. Very grateful for the spontaneous hugs that are given to me in every class that I teach. Love those connections! And sometimes connecting IS the greatest gift!