Stories can do wonders for children. If you had the chance to read the amazing illustrated children’s book ‘The Giving Tree’ than you probably know where this is going. I recently had the chance to read the book again, and I realized hoe remarkable is it and what an incredible lesson it teaches to kids.
Do you ever feel like that your child needs to learn more about sharing? Whether it’s commercial playground equipment or a school lunch, sharing is an important attribute. In this article, I will shed a light on the lesson the book shares and how it can be meaningful for children of growing age.
To start off, I will summarize what the story entails.
The story is about a tree that likes a little boy. The boy enjoys the tree’s shade, its fruits and trunk. He goes by the tree and spends his day near the tree having fun. The tree enjoys the boy’s company likewise. But as the time passes by, the boy gets older and is no longer able to indulge in his youthful practices. He asks the tree for more and more until there is nothing left of tree but a stump. But even when the tree has no fruit to offer, at the end of the day it still offers it stump’s shade to the boy who has now grown into an old man. Here’s an excerpt from the book:
And after a long time the boy came back again.
“I am sorry, Boy,” said the tree,” but I have nothing left to give you – My apples are gone.”
“My teeth are too weak for apples,” said the boy.
“My branches are gone,” said the tree.
” You cannot swing on them – ” “I am too old to swing on branches,” said the boy.
“My trunk is gone, ” said the tree. “You cannot climb – ”
“I am too tired to climb” said the boy.
“I am sorry,” sighed the tree.
“I wish that I could give you something…. but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump. I am sorry….”
“I don’t need very much now,” said the boy.
“just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.”
“Well,” said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could,
“well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting Come, Boy, sit down.
Sit down and rest.” And the boy did. And the tree was happy.
This wonderful little story teaches children the moral of caring for other without any expectations. With this story children learn to share without any selfish expectations for rewards. The story has two distinct characters, one that gives away, and one that takes. While reading this story, you need to explain to your kids the importance of the character that gives, and why this character is more significant than the other character. This is something outdoor playground equipment or complex play structures cannot teach kids.
Do you read stories to your kids? What kind of stories do you read? Share your opinion with through our comment section below.