I know that everyone is proud of their children, every time Tilly does anything that makes me proud; my heart just wants to melt. We live in a small corner of the south-eastern part of England and although it is a high poverty hit part of the country, we don’t often see it on the streets like we do in major cities like London.
We went to London on Sunday and she asked me why it keeps happening, why people have to sleep on the streets of London? Why can’t people help them? I can’t answer these questions for her because sometimes I don’t understand homelessness myself!
We arrived in Leicester Square and were dashing towards a cinema, when Tilly said 'Wait Mum!' she took my shopping bag and rummaged through some of my shopping and took out two chocolate bars. She ran over to a door way where there were people huddled up underneath sleeping bags trying to sleep whilst keeping warm on the cold winter morning. She carefully placed a chocolate bar next to each of the people trying to sleep and walked away with such pride in her eyes and a grin so huge! She then took another chocolate bar from my bag and gave it to someone who had just woken up. She then walked back to me and took my hand saying 'Okay, lets go now'
We went to the cinema and enjoyed our film, we left and went to McDonalds for a treat at lunch time. The town where we live doesn't have a McDonalds so when we go to one, it is such a treat. But we don't often think about how convenient and available it is to us! I had money to go and treat Tilly to lunch, others are not so lucky! When we had finished we walked back to the tube, and she walked past another homeless person holding up a sign made out of a ripped up card. She took an unopened bottle of water from my bag and gave it to him. He was so thankful and again she walked away with a smile as big as the Cheshire cat!
We headed down the tube and the next stop was St Pancras, But Tilly wasn't finished yet, she saw a busker told me to stop and reached in to her own back pack, took out her purse and rummaged for some coins to give to the busker. When we got on the tube, because I wanted to know how much she actually understood, I asked her 'What do you call a person who lives on the street?' she looked at me like an innocent 5 year old would and she replied with 'People mummy, They're just people'.
It made me realise that she doesn't see them as anything other than the people they are and that she has so much compassion for other people. It made me realise that my little girl is 5 years old and she thinks she can help people that are worse off than her and that she is actively doing something to bring a bit of joy to their lives. When I told my aunt about what she had done, she told me off and said I wasn't to tell anyone about her good deeds (so obviously here I am telling the whole world, because I am so proud).
Aww! Bless her. Tilly is just amazing. You must be so proud of her. She sounds like such a caring young girl x
ReplyDeleteHow heartwarming - you daughter could be a nurse when she grows up! She has a kind heart x
ReplyDeletehow lovely to hear about such kindness and moral thought :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this, this was truly beautiful <3 Your Tilly is obviously being brought up to be very thoughtful and considerate, you should be proud. This really brought a tear to my eye. x
ReplyDeleteBless her. I hope that is a trait she takes with her into adulthood we need more people like Little Tilly in the world.
ReplyDelete"You don't need a reason to help people",
Lynsey Buchanan
Oh thats so lovely, such good values, i hope my boy has the same compassion as he grows up x
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet , I love how children do not know the judgement . they see things for what it is. I wish adults saw the same way .
ReplyDeleteAww your little girl is adorable what a lovely read
ReplyDeleteNow that has certainly cheered me up today all we hear about is terrible news and this has lifted my spirit up good is still around and you must be so proud
ReplyDeleteThis bought tears to my eyes, what a beautiful caring and affectionate little girl. You are right to be proud of her (and well done for having so many chocolate bars untouched in your bag by the way!) xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thoughtful daughter you have. She will grow up to be kind and compassionate so you have done your job as a Mum well.
ReplyDeleteVery heart-warming story and you should be proud of your daughter
ReplyDeleteAwwww such a great post. Tilly is lovely! Very touching.
ReplyDeleteAww what a lovely little girl. You must be so proud
ReplyDeleteAww bless her. It must be tough being a kid trying to understand how the world works x
ReplyDeleteWhat a great daughter. You must be very proud of her. Sounds like she's just kind and isn't helping to make herself look good. What a wee smasher
ReplyDeleteThat's so lovely, and thoughtful of her you must be a very proud mum.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful hart your daughter has amazing young lady
ReplyDeletehow lovely what a kind little girl you must be so proud
ReplyDeleteYour little girl sounds amazing, I hope one day I can be blessed with such a wonderful little person who sees the world just like Tilly. 💜
ReplyDeleteIt sometimes takes a child to help us open our eyes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet little girl you have - we should all follow her example and do something kind tomorrow
ReplyDeleteBless her, you should be rightly proud. Children are great because they see things in the most innocent and simplistic way without politics, religion, economics or prejudice getting in the way and I love it when my two (aged 5 and 6) keep asking "why?" because even though it can be frustrating it does make you think and realise that (sometimes) there really isn't a very good answer!
ReplyDeleteSo heartwarming and lovely x
ReplyDeleteWe could all learn a few lessons from Tilly x
ReplyDeleteHomelessness in UK set to increase with more attacks on disabled benefits. My boyfriend lives in Los Angeles right now and it's terrifying to see how many homeless people there are there, and they may as well be invisible to people there (except for police who are known to abuse or even kill homeless). I hope we in UK never stop seeing them as people.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful heart Tilly has x
ReplyDeletewow youve very right to be proud, so lovely
ReplyDeleteThat's what I love about young children, they still have the compassion and curiosity and desire to help others that so many unfortunately lose as an adult
ReplyDeleteLovely read and well done you for writing it, There needs to be more homeless awareness, round by us the churches are doing alot to help x
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful kind hearted little girl you are raising.
ReplyDeletewow what a lovely caring girl, you must be so proud
ReplyDeleteSuch a heartwarming story to share :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely read! Beautiful girl x
ReplyDeleteaaw what a gorgeous little lady you have! They do have a habit of making you all gooey inside from time to time :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post, and makes you appreciate the innocents of the world
ReplyDeleteWe took our boys to london recently too it was so heartbreaking to see the homelessness
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story, I bet your little girl made their day. My dad volunteers at a soup kitchen in London and often talks about the background stories of the people he meets. Often a tragic event they have been unable to cope with sends them into a downward spiral they can't climb out of. It just makes you think that it could happen to any one of us if the circumstances dictate it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderfully heartwarming story.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is obviously growing up to be a lovely lady.
Thank you for sharing.
Such a lovely way to look at the world! I wish many of us adults still thought the same way.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely story!! Your a lucky mummy :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a caring kind hearted little girl you must be so proud. How lovely to read something so heartwarming x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely kindhearted girl you have raised. Sometimes it takes the actions of a child to make us see whats under our nose. Homelessness is a huge problem and yet we are all guilty of just walking by.
ReplyDeleteIt always takes a child to reveal the truths - I hope my son grows up as caring as your daughter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely little girl you have. Obviously has learned some very positive lessons from those around her :)
ReplyDeleteI can see why you are so rightfully proud of Tilly's generosity and kindness. It's just so heartbreaking that we still live in a world that simply doesn't feel a responsibilty to take greater care of those less fortunate and instead strives to be one step ahead of the next person. It would be great if we could all see the world more through the innocent eyes of our children
ReplyDeleteI have always been honest to my children about homelessness - as I was once homeless. Both kids will happily give whatever they can to those in need. Lovely to read that your daughter has so much compassion too
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post and how sweet is that, you are certainly raising her well :)
ReplyDeleteI love stories like this that give hope for a wonderful caring future generation x
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet, I love the kids still see things so simply, I wish adults did too.
ReplyDeleteTilly is lovely kind little girl and it brought tears to my eyes the kindness she has shown to those homeless people. Well done Tilly.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely. She is a credit to you. A better person than most in the world and I hope this kindness continues as she gets older.
ReplyDeleteI think it's far to easy to forget the people on our streets. Well done.
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely story to tell, and you should be so proud to have brought her up that way :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely daughter you have! I wish we could all see the world so openly and honestly as children do sometimes! x
ReplyDeleteLovely, children don't discriminate. She sounds like she'll grow upnto be an empathetic young lady.
ReplyDeleteWow - your daughter sounds such a lovely & kind little girl. You must be so proud. The post was a lovely read & very emotional.
ReplyDeleteAww your little girl is adorable what a lovely read
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful daughter you have. Clearly a credit to you. It's nice to read something heartwarming for once with all the awlful things going on in the world xx
ReplyDeleteWow what an amazing little girl. She is right thought they are people, in a world where some have so much, nobody deserves to live with so little.
ReplyDeleteKindness, thoughtfulness, consideration for others - all traits that make a proper human being. Such a shame that most children have these traits knocked out of them by parents too scared to let them go near other people. Well done for Tilly being so good to others, it proves that you are a great parent.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely little girl you have. The world would be much better if we never lost that childlike belief that everyone is the same and that will to make things better.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely heartwarming story. We do not hear enough of them nowadays
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful daughter, if mine turns out like yours i would be so lucky to have such a beautiful and caring daughter.
ReplyDeleteOh wow she is the perfect little girl how lovely, you must be soo proud of her x
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful little girl. Children so often see things with a clarity that grown-ups have lost.
ReplyDeleteHazel Rea - @beachrambler
Bless her, as adults we could learn a thing or two from children.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter sounds wonderful, I wish we could all be more like children.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real shame that some adults don't have the compassion and understanding that your little girl already has.
ReplyDeleteWe should learn from children as they see the world in a different way, sometimes we need some perspective
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!,reading your story brought tears to my eyes if everyone could be like your Tilly the world would be a much better place
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story - such a big heart at such a young age :)
ReplyDeleteIt never ceases to amaze me how perceptive children can be! What a wonderful little girl Tilly is :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely, and she will stay as caring as that - it is part if her
ReplyDeletewhat an inspirational little girl! This is so touching we should all take a page out of her book :)
ReplyDeleteThat brought a tear to my eye, and yes they are just people. I get told off by my family for helping the homeless. It doesn't mean they are any less of a person because they don't have a home, it makes them as vulnerable as the rest of us. My motto: Everyone is fighting a battle that no one else can see, so be kind - always!
ReplyDeleteThey say children are a reflection of parents
ReplyDelete. You must be so proud xx
what a lovely story, she is a credit to you. This just shows how you have done a fabulous job of raising such a thoughtful and caring young lady
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story you have a wonderful little girl.
ReplyDeleteI have just come back from London and like Tilly felt such sadness towards the people living on the streets. I gave pizza to one man trying to keep warm in a sleeping bag whilst everyone was carrying on with their day. In Brussels I saw several mums and young children in doorways huddled together. This is a huge problem in every country and if Tilly can care so much we as adults should too x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely caring child. No wonder you are so proud of your daughter. Too many children today grow up with too many things and don't appreciate what they have and that others have nothing. (ashamed to say mine included)
ReplyDeletewow well done to your daughter.a wonderful display of humanity from someone so young.
ReplyDeleteYou have every right to be proud of her. I think a lot of children can be caring to others, its just when we get older we get selfish and lose sight of the bigger picture
ReplyDeleteYour daughter has a beautiful heart :) Glad to be reminded children hold no hatred and that they can bring more light to the future
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely girl!
ReplyDeleteA lovely heart warming story you must be very proud of your daughter!
ReplyDeletewow what a great girl you must be proud
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post, I think the world would be a better more loving place if we could look through the eyes of a child. xx
ReplyDeletechildren have a way with words, that adults loose along the way
ReplyDeleteI love stories like this - they really warm my heart and restore my faith in humanity. Well done to your daughter for having such a great attitude.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely girl you have! Well done Tilly, :)
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Princess Diana instilling her values in her sons. I hope my grandchildren grow up compassionate.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely. She is a very kind girl. Very heartwarming.
ReplyDeleteA lovely and heartwarming story. Your daughter is a model to which others must aspire :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing compasionate child. I see other parents dragging their children away from homeless people as if they were contagious & it makes me so mad. Any one of us could end up in that situation - it doesn't take much. I bet those people were so amazed that a child could just give to them without hesitatiion. You must be so proud of her.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, when we were staying with my parents at their home in Dorset, my son, nephew and I saw a homeless man with his dog and my son was very upset. He said "I don't like that, that poor man and his dog are probably very hungry mummy" so we went into a shop and bought some biscuits and my son and nephew were adamant the dog got some too.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice when our kids are good little people who see past the surface
Lovely blog post. I have a daughter the same age as Tilly and I love how simple things are at that age. You see someone in need, you help them. Nothing in between, no barriers. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear that the young understand so much more than we think they do and show they care by their actions
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet, what a nice story
ReplyDeleteHow sweet, my mum always reminds me that i used to do things like this when i was young.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like such a lovely kind hearted girl. You should be very proud xx
ReplyDeleteWow how amazing for someone so young to have already developed such empathy and awareness of others! We should all take note :) Bless her heart x
ReplyDeleteAw, bless her, that's so sweet. Sometimes we need children to remind us of simple things like generosity and kindness.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like such a lovely young girl, very caring :)
ReplyDeleteWe can all learn a lot from Tilly. Lovely story
ReplyDeleteaww thats lovely too many adults dont see the homeless as people
ReplyDeleteAwww how sweet and kind your little girl is, you must be very proud, if only more people were like this in the world, it would certainly be a much better place x
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing little girl. I so hope she keeps that attitude throughout life
ReplyDeleteIf only everyone taught their children such compassion and kindness.. what a beautiful world it would be. Well done Tilly and Mummy xx
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like a wonderful advocate in the adult views of homelessness! People could really learn a thing or two from our innocent children. My son is the same as Tilly although he is only 3 and will just ask us to give people who he seeing singing or busking in town. I do totally agree with her, they are just people. Normal people in a bad circumstance who can't help themselves out of their situation. You have a wonderful, bright little girl.
ReplyDeleteAww, she's such a lovely girl. You should be so proud, you obviously did a great job with her! :) xx
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely, heartwarming piece, the world should be as kind as this x
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, I wish there was more love and care around like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely girl, as a mum you must be very, very proud of Tilly.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful daughter you have. Such a sweet thing to do, I wouldn't keep her actions a secret either!
ReplyDeleteI honestly think we have a lot to learn from our children, compassion being the first lesson :)
ReplyDeleteits so lovely to see that you have brought you daughter up to be kind, caring and loving, just as my late Mum brought me up. These days if a young child has lovely manners towards me, I always compliment the parents. Manners go a long way xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful heart your daughter has. I wish that others were like her. What a little cutie pie. You must be one proud mummy and rightly so!! Well done to you too!!
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking, how lovely!
ReplyDeleteThat's cheered me right up, what a wonderful girl. If only some grown ups were the same.x
ReplyDeleteHow lovely she sounds a fantastic young lady you must be very proud
ReplyDeletewow your daughter is a wonderful little girl, so sweet.
ReplyDeleteAww how lovely is Tilly!! Im not surprised you're proud :)
ReplyDeleteI just read that and it bought a tear to my eye. I am so passionate about helping the homeless and this article has just made me smile. The quote " they are just people" is gorgeous. You have a lovely daughter, she's a real credit to you and shows what an amazing Mum you are to be raising a thoughtful none judgemental child. All credit to you xx
ReplyDeleteShe sounds amazing, I hope my babies grow up like that, imagine what a wonderful place the World would be if we had more people like her.
ReplyDeleteTilly is such a thoughtful little girl, I bet you are so so proud of her!
ReplyDeleteWow what an amazing little girl you have!
ReplyDeleteYour daughter sounds very sweet. It's nice that she doesn't look down on people who are disadvantaged and that she gives to them. It is true that they are still people like us. No wonder you are very proud of your daughter. xx
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely little girl,fab read,ill be back to read some more
ReplyDeleteyou must be very proud, what a thoughtful little girl x
ReplyDelete