Riverton mom says easiest way to teach children love is through service
Dec 21, 2021, 9:33 PM
RIVERTON, Utah — There are many ways to teach your little ones about love, but Zoie Farmer believes the best and easiest of them all, is through service.
Over the years, she and her five children have worked on countless projects both big and small. The family participated in these service opportunities because they know what it’s like to be on the receiving end.
In 2012, their son was diagnosed with Leukemia while the family was living out of state and away from family. Through his 148 weeks of chemotherapy, complete strangers saw a need and fulfilled it by serving them.
“We had groceries paid for, we had Christmas presents delivered from people we didn’t even know,” Farmer said. “So many people reached out to us and served us when we were in the hospital.”
The family has made it their mission to pay it forward. Over the years, they have done toy drives, prepared meals for the homeless, performed at nursing homes, and assembled toys for kids, just to name a few.
Farmer said these opportunities help teach her children important life lessons.
“Through these projects, they are feeling love, happiness, you know, a connection with someone. You can find that in other things, but I think it’s so easily found in service,” she said.
She said her youngest children may not fully understand the impact of their work now, but they will remember how they feel years later.
Her daughter Ava still recalls when, at just five years old, she participated in a toy drive for kids at the hospital.
“I found this little girl and she had a pink hat on. She was in bed, and I gave [a toy] to her,” Ava said. “I remember feeling like I wanted to do that over and over again.”
Ava tries to replicate the joy she felt that day by continually serving others.
It is a feeling Farmer said we can all experience. She encourages families to give back to those in need, with their kids heavily involved. It is something she will continue to do with her children for years to come.
“I want them to have memories and not be afraid to serve – just see an opportunity and fill it,” she said.
For more ideas and resources on how to get started on service with your child visit 5B45kids.com.
