It was quite an emotional conversation, and it was very touching when Miles showed enthusiasm for the project and wanted to help the families he saw. He was also very proud that I thought he was mature enough to be given this responsibility for the first time, and to be let in on a secret that his brothers were too young to understand.
We packed soft toys, model racecars, bubble blowers, a sewing kit and a wind-up torch among other things. Some of them were unopened gifts we’d received or bought for the purpose, and some were things our family no longer needed but were ‘nearly new’. Miles and I spoke about each item as it went in, and about how the families would use it.
Everything was going well until he decided that he really wanted to keep one of the toys for himself. But in the end he agreed that even though he would really like it, a child who was less lucky than him would appreciate it more, and so in it went. It made me proud to see him come to such a mature conclusion (albeit with a little prompting!) He even asked if he could go to Romania to deliver the box himself (that’s where the geography came in - we spoke about how far Romania was and how the box would get there).
Other ideas to try:
Shoebox appeals need some time and forward planning - the deadline for drop-off is usually late October or early November – but there are plenty of other ways to get children involved. You could:
Take your child to a local food bank to give donations - or Elmers End Tesco has a donations box if you are
unavailable during their opening hours
Ask them to help pack donations for Croydon Brighter Beginnings, a fledgling 'baby bundles' scheme (that delivers essentials to new
mothers in difficult situations)
Have them help you select a gift for a child in care through the Met Police’s Christmas Tree Scheme in Bromley or Croydon
Simply let them choose some charity Christmas cards to buy. There are loads of causes you could discuss
I hope this has given you some ideas, and that your family have a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
Stephen Clarke, dad to Miles (5), Rory (2) and Douglas (1)