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TWU professor says time is a good gift during a bad economy
11/19/08
DENTON —
News of the struggling economy seems to drown out the sounds
of Christmas these days, but families can still have a happy
holiday season by giving the gift of themselves.
Dr. Shann Hwa Hwang,
associate professor of family sciences at Texas Woman’s
University, said families still can use either their time
or money to contribute to the economy. However, he said, with
the current economic conditions, “maybe time will be
more feasible.”
Time spent giving
to others can be a precious gift: A family goes to a nursing
home to sing and talk with residents; youth go to a shelter
to serve a meal for the homeless; making phone calls to friends
and family members. All these actions require giving more
of ourselves and our time, but can mean so much more to others.
Children also can
learn a valuable lesson during tough economic times. Dr. Hwang
said a program in his son’s elementary school identifies
students by numbers only, then gives the age and wish list
of each child. Dr. Hwang said the child whose number his son
drew asked for underwear.
“My son told
my wife and me how sad he would be if he were in that situation,”
Dr. Hwang said. In addition to buying underwear for the child,
his son also gave money from his piggy bank. “When
children learn to put themselves in others’ shoes, they
become more grateful for what they have,” Dr. Hwang
said.
“It’s
important for parents to model behavior for their children,”
he added. “We need to teach them that if there’s
a family in need, we can do something to help — maybe
something as simple as sending a card or preparing a meal.”
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Media
Contact:
Karen Garcia
Senior Writer
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: kgarcia@twu.edu
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