[B]* 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?

I always tell my kids that they have 2 more minutes, and then they have to hand it over. Generally my girls are very good at sharing, taking turns on the slide at the park etc.

* if your colleague forgets their lunch, would you offer to share yours? or offer to loan them some money?

Definitely

* if a friend is in financial difficulty, so you offer help? what kind of help?

For me it would depend on why they were in financial difficulty. Judgmental maybe, but my dearest friend in the world developed a drug problem and there is no way I would lend her money

* what about family?

Without a second thought

* how well would you need to know someone on bellybelly for you to be willing to offer assistance?

It would be enough for me if they had been around long enough to be a "genuine" member - then I would do anything I could.

* do you give to people begging? buy the big issue? donate to charities?

Not beggars, nor buy the big issue. I donate to specific charities only

* 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?

It depends on whether or not I have my children with me, and what is wrong with the person. An old lady fell over in front of us at the shops and we stopped to personally help her without a thought. Driving home at night a couple of years ago from my folks' place at night by myself with the two girls in the car and there was a guy covered with blood and staggering in the street. I stopped about 50 metres from him, put my hazard lights on and called the police and an ambulance. I had no idea why he was in that condition, and I considered my children's safety more important than his. The police did a follow up with me and it turned out he had just attacked his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend while on meth.

* 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

* 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 couldn't be a surrogate. Despite my age, I don't "do" pregnancy very well and it has an enormous impact on my family. I can't donate blood after having severe hepatitis. I would donate plasma, bone marrow or breastmilk to anyone. Something like a kidney that I only have a finite number of I would only donate to my husband or children.

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

yes. I'm probably stupid in that a lot of stuff I give away I could sell on ebay, but I'd rather just donate and think its gone somewhere worthwhile.

* what do you expect of others? do those expectations change based on anything (wealth, time available, upbringing, etc?)

I don't expect anything from anyone else, except emotional support from my DH and my parents. I'm very bad at asking for help in any way.

* how do you decide when to offer advice etc, and when to keep your thoughts to yourself?

Depends on the person. If its more of an acquaintance, then I generally am pretty non-committal about things. If its someone I genuinely care about I offer advice, exception being when you know your beliefs differ radically from theirs - eg parenting techniques. Then I offer advice only if asked.

* 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 like making things easier for those around me and hate seeing people struggle or being unhappy. My life used to be substantially tougher than it is now, and I think now that I am in a much better place its what I should do.

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

No

* 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?

I'm not religious but live by basic Christian values. I also like to think that my mother raised me with a good moral compass and its something I want to repeat with my children. I think its easy to lose track of how good we have life in Australia and often things are taken for granted. I think the whole "bigger better more" mentality that is pushed on us through the media is damaging.