Every parent wants to see their kids grow up as compassionate, responsible citizens who take a keen interest in the world around them and have an active role within their community. The perfect way to help your kids grow into great citizens is by encouraging them to give back to their community when they’re young. Giving back to the community and helping those who are less fortunate are always great things to do, and getting your kids excited about it will help them create a lifelong passion for helping others.
Encourage Your Kids to Donate to Charity
If your teenagers have a job, you can encourage them to donate a percentage of their paychecks to charity every once in a while to give back to the community. If your kids are younger, you can help them organise a lemonade stand and show them how to donate the profits. By doing this, you can show them how exciting and fun it can be to give back to the community, which will encourage them to keep donating when they get older.
Get Involved in Charities
Getting involved in local charities is a great way to give back to your community, and it’s a great way to get your kids involved, too. If you are religious, there are many religious charities you can join. You can also donate by fulfilling your religious obligations. Donate zakat, teach your religious text, and volunteer in your place of worship. Your kids will follow by example, and you will teach them how to give back to the community when they’re young!
Start Small, Then Make It a Habit
If your child is hesitant to get involved or has a specific way they would like to help, encourage them to start small, and with something fun. Start with something that your child can get involved with, such as helping to clean up the park or volunteer in a soup kitchen. Once your child has shown some interest in helping others, you can encourage them to branch out into more challenging and important projects within their community.
Set Up a Regular Time for Volunteering
As your child progresses through their volunteering journey, make it a point to set up regular volunteering activities with them. This way, your child will have a regular meeting day that keeps him or her motivated to continue helping others. If your child wants to volunteer in a particular area, like the environment or helping disabled people, encourage them to pursue that volunteer project. Your child will be more likely to continue volunteering if they have something to look forward to and keep them motivated.
Kids naturally want to help others, but they will be more likely to start giving back to their community with some encouragement and direction from you. Encourage your child to get involved in community service projects, and make volunteering a regular part of their life. Start small, and don’t wait for your child to volunteer in order to get them excited about helping others. Encourage your child to get involved, and help them find a way to make a difference in their community.