Mothers’ Day Children’s Free Market May 11 at 10am
Mother’s Day Free Market a Resounding Success
More than 30 children from more than 30 families “shopped” successfully at Emmanuel’s Free Children’s Market on May 11. Moms from our South-east neighbourhoods and around the city — and a couple of dads — brought their children to the event, and both children and parents enjoyed it. Even our tiniest shopper, who was still a little doubtfull about the wisdom of leaving mom alone in the lobby, managed to pick-out a nice gift and admire the fans turning lazily on the church ceiling, before returning hastily to the comfort of her mom’s arms.
Our next free market will be June 15, the day before Father’s Day.
Emmanuel’s Free Children’s Markets address the trouble that children have finding presents for their parents. Children generally don’t have much money, and generally, the only way they can get to a store, is to ask a ride from the very person they want to surprise! Children can come with a parent. Then, while their parent enjoys tea or coffee and a social time with other parents and our hostess, a volunteer “personal shopper” will help the child select a gift for their mother, and another volunteer will wrap it up so that present stays a surprise.
Letting children experience the joy of giving, and encouraging them to give gifts or acts of kindness to their parents, is an important step in raising children to be generous and grateful members of society: the kind of people who will make the world a better place when they step into our shoes. Parents and other close family caregivers are naturally reluctant to ask their little children for presents! But recognizing and appreciating the people closest to them is important, and Emmanuel is hoping to help parents pass on that lesson to all God’s little ones.