* if your child is playing with a toy, and other toys are available, would you encourage your child to let the other kid play with the toy? or should the other child leave yours alone, and find something else themself? does it depend on whose house you are at? I always encourage my children to share. If another child showed interest in something my child had, I would encourage my child to let the other child play with it and help my child to find a new toy. However, if the child decides he or she wants the next toy my child is playing with I then would encourage the child to resume playing with the original toy.

* if your colleague forgets their lunch, would you offer to share yours? or offer to loan them some money? Definitely! I have shared lunches and given money to work colleagues numerous times when I was working. I even now often send morning tea in with my husband for him & his work mates.

* if a friend is in financial difficulty, so you offer help? what kind of help? I always help out as much as possible. I have let friends borrow hundreds of dollars for bond for a house, money for fuel, food etc. I have only had one person take a long time to repay a small amount, but it wasn't a huge issue. She paid when she was able.

* what about family? Always, no questions.

* how well would you need to know someone on bellybelly for you to be willing to offer assistance? I don't need to know them well at all. If I see someone with a genuine need, or if there is something I can do to help them out, I will. I have RAKed a few members that I have barely even known.

* do you give to people begging? buy the big issue? donate to charities? Yep, I give to beggers. Yes, I give to buskers too. I don't know what the big issue is, so no to that and I donate to numerous charities.

* if you see a complete stranger in trouble (falling over on the street, fainting on the train, throwing up at the shops, whatever) do you help? do you call for help but not intervene personally? I do help out when I am certain there is no real danger to me. I have actually intervened in an attempted rape when I was 7 months pregnant. It was one of the scariest things I have ever seen but I knew I had to do something to stop this woman from being raped. When the attacker fled, I helped her up and looked after her until the Police & her husband arrived. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

* do you share/help out when you know it's not likely to be reciprocated (whether a repeat offender friend/relative, or someone you know isn't in a position to help out in return)? Yes. I don't help someone just to expect something in return.

* how personal does your sharing get? do/would you donate blood? plasma? bone marrow? a kidney? breastmilk? eggs? would you be a surrogate for someone? with these things, would you do it for an immediate family member? friend? acquaintence? stranger? I've donated blood, plasma, breast milk and have considered donating eggs. I would be a surrogate for someone in my family.

* do you give away goods that you would be happy to keep, because you think someone else needs/would appreciate them more? Yes, most definitely.

* what do you expect of others? do those expectations change based on anything (wealth, time available, upbringing, etc?) I don't expect anything from others. If someone offered to help, I would still be hesitant to take them up on their offer. Not sure why though, it is just how I am.

* how do you decide when to offer advice etc, and when to keep your thoughts to yourself? It depends on the person. If I know them well enough and they know how I am, I will give them my absolute, honest opinion. If is someone who doesn't know me too well, I will give them the mild version of my honesty - being honest though but more gentle! lol

* when you share in different ways, do you do it because you feel you should, or because you enjoy it, or because you think we all should, or other reasons? I don't know why I do it. Obviously partly because I like to help people but also partly because I feel very blessed to have the life I have right now, and if I can help someone with something that won't be putting me out at all, I do so in a heartbeat. If it is going to put me or my family out, I will think about what I can do to help and still help when & where I can.

* do you find sharing and generosity hard to talk about in general? Sometimes.

* what do you think the main influences on your views about all this to be? upbringing? spiritual beliefs and value system? your partner's views? what you want for your children? Definitely my upbringing. My mum was always helping people when I was growing up. We lived across the road from a park where numerous homeless people would gather. I remember my Mum making a roast dinner and taking it over to them. She would often take them thermoses of coffee and freshly baked cakes & slices. My Mum would give people her last dollar if they needed it. I am so lucky that my husband is exactly like me and would give most anything to help someone in need. He gets that from his mum who was also very giving. I know my older 2 kids are already more than willing to help out people whenever they can. My daughter recently went without lunch because she used her lunch money to pay for her friends sport. I hope they help people whnever they can.