Match Volunteer Activities to Your Child’s Abilities

When children get involved in community service, they develop leadership, initiative and other positive qualities that carry over and help them thrive in school and in life. Not to mention it take the focus off of self for a moment and helps them connect to the world around them be that to nature in cleaning up an area, animals at a shelter, or other people in whatever the scenario.

The important question to consider is: “what type of community project is right for your child?”

Here are some ideas to get started:

• Brainstorm volunteer ideas with your child. What does she feel strongly about? The environment? Sick people? Animals?
• Match your child’s abilities to community projects. If she likes to run, perhaps you could participate in a walk or run for charity together. If she likes cooking, maybe you could make cookies together for a homeless shelter.
• Make sure the activity fits your child’s personality. Would she enjoy something active like cleaning up a park? Would she prefer to visit with seniors? Is she shy? Then she may do better working with animals.
• Think about how your child might react to people in difficult situations. Is she too sensitive, for example, to see children in a hospital?

We think the most important factors are certainly aligning the outreach with your child’s passions and abilities. This also goes back into the topic we discussed a few weeks ago Help Children Develop Care and Sensitivity.

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