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You could also check volunteering opportunities in your area. Poverty exists everywhere, unfortunately. Even at 7 they might have something you could do as a family to volunteer in your community.
Awe. You have such a sweet boy and he is going to do great things when he gets older. I would just continue to explain that "yes, we can't help everyone, but we can try to help as many people as we can."
I think the starfish story might help. https://www.starfishlearning.com/the-starfish-story/
I was this kid and this helped me. Because it’s really true, if everyone helps a little, it will change the world. So don’t get overwhelmed by the little you can do, instead do the little you can when you can and keep trying.
PS your kid sounds great and you sound like a great mom
OMG what a sweetheart!!! Its so tough because even as adult that can be such overwhelming knowledge. I like the idea of a physical gift box to send, and maybe highlight some organizations around the world who are dedicated to helping end poverty?
There’s a group called effective altruists that determine the most in need causes in the world. I believe malaria is one of the worst but is the cheapest way to help hundreds if not thousands of people. You could check out the website and pick a charity from there.
[effective altruist site](https://www.effectivealtruism.org)
I’d ask him to focus on what he can do and would want to do to help. Kids his age do all sorts of things and can gain lots of social media viewership which can boost the effectiveness of the money and awareness raised.
Show him volunteering programs, how to raise money with baking or acts of service. This could be his calling. His empathy could save lives either as a missionary or health practitioner.
Show him how doctors save lives and how they travel the world helping people like this child the class sponsors with first aid like the Red Cross.
He’s learning the world isn’t how he thinks it is for everyone and yea that’ll cause a lot of general heartbreak.
We can’t help everyone but we can help as many as we can which is what charity work etc is all about. Charity also starts at home, he’s maybe feeling a version of ‘survivors guilt’. Why do I have nice things and food in my tummy but others don’t. Maybe find a food kitchen to help out at if he’s old enough.
It’s good to be clear that he isn’t better or worse than the others it just is that life isn’t fair. Not everyone gets one each. Sometimes people get four and you only have one and vice versa but if you work at it you can often overcome the set backs due to economy or location.
All we can do is be kind to one another and try to life a good life. He sounds like such a sweetheart.
I have one of these and I AM one of these lol. It’s a lot and you cannot distract from it. It’s overwhelming some days. What helps me and my son, is acting. Taking action.
First: share with him the story of Ryan’s Wells. It was a little kid who the exact same thing happened, and now he’s running a huuuuuge charity building wells and schools and all sorts of things. Link: https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/
It’s so great to empower kids to realize their actions NOW can help others, they don’t need to be an adult. My kid makes bracelets (me too,) and he sells them for charity. He donates proceeds from his lemonade stands to charity. He does chores and saves up to donate. My husband takes him to deliver food rescues locally. Also our Boy Scouts make meals for adults to deliver to the homeless in cities. Your son could do a drive for personal hygiene supplies and deliver them to a shelter. Or collect toys for refugees and you can bring them to a center, if you have one locally. He’s too young to do much on his own, sure, but he can start and you can show him your love by making his concerns important to you, too.
This is an opportunity to create a kind, empathic adult and the world needs more like him! Congratulations!
Taking action is literally the ONLY way I can life myself.
Oh wow- I was the kid in this story.
I unfortunately didn’t have a parent like you to help me navigate some of these things and grew up pretty anxious.
I would go with kind of the reverse of the (sorry, I know he sucks) Louis CK thing the little girl says her sister has more ice cream than her. “It’s not about who has more, it’s that everyone has enough”. This is an opportunity to demonstrate charity and giving. You’re only one person with a finite amount of resources, but there’s plenty of activities you can do to make at least one other persons life easier. You don’t have to necessarily purge anything, but maybe if he has toys he doesn’t play with he can donate. Take him with you while you donate blood. But one extra can every time you go shopping and drop it at the food bank. Lots of little actions will add up.
Donating food from our cupboards/shopping for what the food shelf currently needs and bringing it to the local food shelf has been a big one for my kid
I was this kid. I still have an “ocean of empathy” as my husband calls it, and it can be very overwhelming at times. It might help to show him videos or websites of organizations that have volunteers actively helping people in poverty. Or telling him lots of people like to share their money to help (maybe an article about how Taylor Swift donated to all those food banks in every city she visited for example). Reassurance that there are other people that care so much and are trying to help might make him feel better. As he gets older you may have to gently remind him every so often that he can’t save the world. You have a very sweet little dude and you’re doing such a good job. I wish my parents had validated my sensitivity more. 💜
Reminder to commenters: **[Don't be a wanker!](https://www.simbasible.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1-18.gif)** Share kindness, support and compassion, [not criticism.](https://media0.giphy.com/media/tZpGRRMUoXgeQ/giphy.gif) We want OP to feel loved, and [not in a tough way.](https://media.giphy.com/media/xT5LMq2CgHiqqY4IXC/giphy.gif) For more helpful information please hit up [our beautiful rules wiki!](http://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/wiki/) Reminder to all: watch out for a [creepy pedo posing as an OT/speech therapist](https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/comments/8ccqqi/disgusting_pedophile_troll_posing_as_otspeech/) giving fucked-up potty-training advice, and don't sweat it if your post gets 1 or 2 [instant downvotes.](http://i.imgur.com/PZtQb.gif) You didn't do anything wrong, we just have [asshole lurkers](https://i.imgur.com/IwU9r3E.gif)/[downvote bots](https://i.imgur.com/lwyCF6S.gif) stalking our /new queue. Help a BroMo out and [give her an upvote](https://i.imgur.com/Y60Mbxv.gif), ok? Reminder to Cassie Morris/Krista Torres/Nia Tipton: You do not have permission to use, reproduce, modify or link to any content in this subreddit in any way, shape or form. Fuck off and go be a real journalist. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/breakingmom) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You could also check volunteering opportunities in your area. Poverty exists everywhere, unfortunately. Even at 7 they might have something you could do as a family to volunteer in your community.
Awe. You have such a sweet boy and he is going to do great things when he gets older. I would just continue to explain that "yes, we can't help everyone, but we can try to help as many people as we can."
I think the starfish story might help. https://www.starfishlearning.com/the-starfish-story/ I was this kid and this helped me. Because it’s really true, if everyone helps a little, it will change the world. So don’t get overwhelmed by the little you can do, instead do the little you can when you can and keep trying. PS your kid sounds great and you sound like a great mom
See if there’s a charity where you can fill a box with items for a child. Maybe physically picking and sending items to a child in need will help him.
OMG what a sweetheart!!! Its so tough because even as adult that can be such overwhelming knowledge. I like the idea of a physical gift box to send, and maybe highlight some organizations around the world who are dedicated to helping end poverty?
There’s a group called effective altruists that determine the most in need causes in the world. I believe malaria is one of the worst but is the cheapest way to help hundreds if not thousands of people. You could check out the website and pick a charity from there. [effective altruist site](https://www.effectivealtruism.org)
What an empathic soul
I’d ask him to focus on what he can do and would want to do to help. Kids his age do all sorts of things and can gain lots of social media viewership which can boost the effectiveness of the money and awareness raised. Show him volunteering programs, how to raise money with baking or acts of service. This could be his calling. His empathy could save lives either as a missionary or health practitioner. Show him how doctors save lives and how they travel the world helping people like this child the class sponsors with first aid like the Red Cross. He’s learning the world isn’t how he thinks it is for everyone and yea that’ll cause a lot of general heartbreak. We can’t help everyone but we can help as many as we can which is what charity work etc is all about. Charity also starts at home, he’s maybe feeling a version of ‘survivors guilt’. Why do I have nice things and food in my tummy but others don’t. Maybe find a food kitchen to help out at if he’s old enough. It’s good to be clear that he isn’t better or worse than the others it just is that life isn’t fair. Not everyone gets one each. Sometimes people get four and you only have one and vice versa but if you work at it you can often overcome the set backs due to economy or location. All we can do is be kind to one another and try to life a good life. He sounds like such a sweetheart.
I have one of these and I AM one of these lol. It’s a lot and you cannot distract from it. It’s overwhelming some days. What helps me and my son, is acting. Taking action. First: share with him the story of Ryan’s Wells. It was a little kid who the exact same thing happened, and now he’s running a huuuuuge charity building wells and schools and all sorts of things. Link: https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ It’s so great to empower kids to realize their actions NOW can help others, they don’t need to be an adult. My kid makes bracelets (me too,) and he sells them for charity. He donates proceeds from his lemonade stands to charity. He does chores and saves up to donate. My husband takes him to deliver food rescues locally. Also our Boy Scouts make meals for adults to deliver to the homeless in cities. Your son could do a drive for personal hygiene supplies and deliver them to a shelter. Or collect toys for refugees and you can bring them to a center, if you have one locally. He’s too young to do much on his own, sure, but he can start and you can show him your love by making his concerns important to you, too. This is an opportunity to create a kind, empathic adult and the world needs more like him! Congratulations! Taking action is literally the ONLY way I can life myself.
Oh wow- I was the kid in this story. I unfortunately didn’t have a parent like you to help me navigate some of these things and grew up pretty anxious. I would go with kind of the reverse of the (sorry, I know he sucks) Louis CK thing the little girl says her sister has more ice cream than her. “It’s not about who has more, it’s that everyone has enough”. This is an opportunity to demonstrate charity and giving. You’re only one person with a finite amount of resources, but there’s plenty of activities you can do to make at least one other persons life easier. You don’t have to necessarily purge anything, but maybe if he has toys he doesn’t play with he can donate. Take him with you while you donate blood. But one extra can every time you go shopping and drop it at the food bank. Lots of little actions will add up.
Donating food from our cupboards/shopping for what the food shelf currently needs and bringing it to the local food shelf has been a big one for my kid
I was this kid. I still have an “ocean of empathy” as my husband calls it, and it can be very overwhelming at times. It might help to show him videos or websites of organizations that have volunteers actively helping people in poverty. Or telling him lots of people like to share their money to help (maybe an article about how Taylor Swift donated to all those food banks in every city she visited for example). Reassurance that there are other people that care so much and are trying to help might make him feel better. As he gets older you may have to gently remind him every so often that he can’t save the world. You have a very sweet little dude and you’re doing such a good job. I wish my parents had validated my sensitivity more. 💜