Women Health

Discover more meaning in quality time with the family. In a world of digital amusement and shooping malls, let’s give childres the experience is giving bank to society.

We’ve all done malls, recreation clubs and theme parks for some bonding time with childres. But how would you like to do something else that will also help them develop a sense of caring for community? Here’s the game plan.

Volunteering with children is a great way to help them learn about giving back. Children learn valuable skills on the job so to speak. Another benefit is that they learn about the concerns of the organization and what need it fills in the community. Consequently, they also have an opportunity to remember what they have to be thankful for.

Working Together

It’s important to work side by side with your child sine leading by example has been shown to be the most effective form of teaching. Children who see their parents volunteer are much more likely to believe in the value of helping others.

Naturally, working side by side with your child will allow you to assits him/her where necessary, ensuring the child’s presence is a help, not a hindrance to the organization.

An additional benefit is the bonding that occurs when people work together as a team. Also, focusing on a task sometimes fosters deep conversation that may not have occurred with more direct eye contact.

Your Child’s Interests

If your child is clearly interented in a subject, it may be possible to use that interest as a springboard into volunteering: children who like to construct things may enjoy helping a construction organization at, say an animal centre.

Your Interests

It’s also important to consider your own interests. Children look to their parents to help them discern how to respond to new stimuli. If you are bored while volunteering, your child will associate boredom with volunteering. If you are passionate, your child will respond to that passion.

Your Child’s Abilities

If your child is very young, it can be challenging to choose a project; but there are opportunities that even very young children can do with some guidance from their parents.
Meriam Jo, 43, says: “I started volunteering with my children when they were three and six years old. My older child could follow basic instructions with some supervision. However, my three-year-old was an energetic little boy with a child’s attention span. We were able to successfully volunteer at a local food pantry, where his sorting and counting skills worked quite well with close supervision from me. I gave him simple tasks such as taking two tins of milk from a shelf and putting them into bags. He was able to complete these tasks easily, while I added all the remaining groceries.”

Your Abilities

Just as your child will learn from your passion for volunteering, she/he will benefit from seeking you working in your element. For example, if you are especially skilled at home renovation, a community restoration project would allow you to share your skills while demonstrating the relevance volunteering has for many different careers and interests.

Locations, Frequency, and Duration

Of course, it’s important to consider the basic logistics of any volunteering opportunity. If the opportunity is close by, a commitment to help out on a weekly basis may be fine. If it’s farther away, you may need to commit less. It’s fine ti increase your volunteering later, when you know the arrangement works well for you, but be careful not to over-commit initially.

Remember your child is already learning work ethics from this experience. You’ll want to ensure you arrive on time when you’re expected, only cancelling or rescheduling when you truly have valid reasons and can give plenty of notice.

Consider too the duration of each session. Older children may be fine with a few hours or more. Younger children need shorted sessions. “We found our one-hour session at the food pantry each week worked well during the first 30 to 45 minutes of fast-paced grocery bag filling. How ever, the remaining 15 to 30 minutes of shelf restocking were slow so my three-year-old had trouble staying focused. It was an invitation for chaos. We handled it by simply leaving earlier until he was a little older and better able to handle a full hour of volunteer work at a time,” says Alice Nathan, 51.

Staff Attitude

The last item to consider is the attitude of other volunteers and the organisation’s staff. Most people will appreaciate your intention to instill the spirit of volunteering in children when they are young, but you may find a few “sour apples” who focus more on the decibel level or other distraction (in fact, many organizations may prohibit children under a certain age.)

To some extent, the mission you’re on is more important than any individual who may not appreciate your child’s input at an organization – take on the role of a support system. This is why it is important to consider the effect other’s attitudes have on your child. It’s if a child feels like a hindrance at the place where he or she is helping out, the volunteering effort will end up seeming like a chore rather than a joy. (Source: Herworld).

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