Teaching Children How to Give of Themselves

Teach Kids to Give of Themselves

Volunteerism, especially around the holidays, offers an ideal opportunity for families to have fun and feel closer to each other at the same time. Community service helps to drive home the message that giving is much more than laying down cash for the hot gift of the season or scrambling around to buy mounds of presents. Volunteerism can show kids that giving your time, effort, and kindness is more rewarding than just expecting to receive lots of presents.Also, if volunteering begins at an early age, it can become part of your kids' lives — something they just want to do. It can teach them: that one person can make a difference. A wonderful, empowering message for kids is that they are important enough to have an impact on someone or something else.

By giving up a toy to a less fortunate child, a child learns that sometimes it's good to sacrifice. Cutting back on recreation time to help others reinforces that there are important things other than ourselves and our immediate needs. Working in community service can bring kids and teens in touch with people of different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicity's, ages, and education and income levels. They'll likely find that even the most diverse individuals can be united by common values. By helping others who aren't as fortunate, kids can better see all the remarkable things to be grateful for in their own lives. Community service can teach kids that giving comes in many forms, not just as presents. Emphasize that giving of their time, effort, and caring can mean so much more and last longer than any gift that money can offer.