There are many things that parents need to do in order to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted children into adults who can make a difference in the world. One of these things is to teach them to make a difference in their own community. Understanding what it takes to become part of the community and knowing how to leave it better than when you found it is crucial for a number of reasons, both for the community at large and the child themselves.
Read on to find out how you can make this happen.Â
VolunteeringÂ
No matter where you live, there are sure to be charities and other important foundations that need assistance through volunteers. Of course, you don’t have to choose a specific charity – you could just volunteer more generally and pick up litter or offer to read to older people in the local care home. It really depends on what you and your children are comfortable doing.Â
Volunteering itself, in whatever capacity you do it, is a good thing, and it’s an ideal way to teach your kids how to make a difference. They will find a cause they feel deeply about, and they will see firsthand how their time and a little effort can make a genuine difference in other people’s lives. Plus, they’ll be helping, and that’s always a good thing.Â
Fundraising And DonationsÂ
Not everyone has a lot of time to do volunteering or to help out in a physical way. However, if your children get pocket money, or even if they have a part-time job they earn a little money from, they could make a donation to the charity of their choice, such as The National Brain Appeal, about which you can find out more here. Or, since we’re talking about community, perhaps there is a project taking place nearby. Whether that’s building a new hospital or it’s an initiative to help plant trees in the local park, if they have some money to spare, you could help them donate it. This will show them that even the smallest thing could make a difference.Â
They might want to take things further and start fundraising. This is wonderful, and there are many routes to go down. A bake-off, a sponsored readathon, dog walking for the neighbours, and so much more are all possibilities. Â
Public Awareness
As well as doing a lot to help the local community, it’s important to ensure your children have good public awareness, and that they will be able to notice when something needs to be done in the future. With this in mind, why not work with them online and even on social media to find events and fundraising efforts they could get involved with?Â
As they get older, they will then be much more aware of what they should be looking out for if they want to help in any way, and they won’t have to rely on someone else telling them that it’s a good idea. Of course, supervision will be required when your children are young, but this is a skill that will certainly help them and benefit the community when they get older too, so it’s worth trying out.
DISCLAIMER: This is a collaborative post.
