Why encourage your kids to collect

I kept a stamp collection as a child. My mother worked as a secretary and she had access to her boss' mail from all over the globe. She was the one who got me started in stamp collecting and would even ask her workmates for more stamps to add to my collection. I still have my collection in my parents' home and, although it's been gathering dust, it still gives me pride that I collected so much. What's more interesting is that my husband also has his own stamp collection which means Rap gets to keep everything we have!
Why encourage your kids to collect? It may look that simple but collecting teaches your kids a lot of things. Among these are the ones I listed below:

• It gives children a sense of history and culture. I learned a lot from the stamps I collected, especially the commemorative ones. It made me interested to read about the event they commemorate or their countries of origin.
• It gives children knowledge. My stamp collection taught me about countries I've never been to. I even got t know Gandhi at the age of seven because I had lots of stamps with his face on it!
• It teaches children to value things. Come to think of it, to others my stamps are garbage. But I wouldn't trade it for the world then. I ket it safe and dry and even saved up for the special album, paper, and adhesive I used for my collection.
• It builds memories to cherish. I can still look at one stamp in my collection and relate it with a childhood memory.
• It's fun! Nuff said.

Bottle caps, comic books, postcards, toys... anything your child fancies. Just make sure that he can afford it and he keeps it neat and tidy. Join him in his quest of collecting, too, and create a special bond that will surely last a lifetime.