Get Your Children Involved in Community Service

Community service participation can help your children become well-rounded individuals. Children develop a deeper understanding of the world around them when they participate in community service. Community service can help children develop leadership and organizational skills. Typical service organizations have fundraising projects, work days, and organizational meetings. Children can lead projects and work on projects with others. They learn teamwork and have multiple opportunities to experience success.

Beyond Sports

Parents often seek to get their children involved in sports, but balancing physical activities with community service provide children with precious opportunities to serve others and see their work make a difference. Community service can take many forms. The children can work with and help protect animals. They can work on projects to protect the environment, complete clerical tasks, like inputting data into information and referral software, or they can develop programs for the elderly.

Align Service with Interests

I think that it is best to align a child’s interests with potential community service projects and organizations. Suggest that your child attend meetings of some of the community service organizations in school, and get calendars of events from each. Some organizations help a variety of causes, so the child can participate in different projects. From this experience, the child might hone in on a specific cause that he or she would like to support in the future. Community service organizations are not all work and no play. The organizations might have parties or social gatherings for members. These events are often organized as an incentive for ongoing participation in the group.

Learning about the various projects that the organization has will also help the child choose a community service organization that has positions or projects where he or she can use specific talents. Children who enjoy creating artwork can make posters to advertise the organizations’ projects. That child might lead an art auction to raise money for a cause.

Participate with Your Child

Participate in community service projects with your child. Determine some of the needs in your community and get involved. Volunteer to feed the homeless. Tutor children in the community or donate items to a local charity. Usually, if a child sees a parent’s involvement in the community, the child will wish to participate, too. Do not force your child to participate, but tell your children why you believe that volunteering is important.

If you feel that your child exhibits entitled behavior, you can expose your children to areas where people are struggling to survive. Of course, make sure that your children are well-supervised, but during the visit, discuss things that the average person can do to help others. I think that it will also help for children to see how specific services help our neediest citizens. It’s also important for children to learn that volunteer opportunities arise every day, not merely around the holidays. You can also consider rewarding children who participate in community service activities, but your children must understand that they should not volunteer with an expectation of receiving something. The joy lies in giving. Your support and guidance will encourage your child to continue unselfish acts as an adult.