As the holiday season approaches, and we begin to reflect upon the many things for which we’re thankful, it’s only natural to find ourselves filled with a desire to give back to the communities around us.
This may ring particularly true to those of us with kids. While they’re surrounded by friends and family, filling their plates with delicious foods and writing out those long lists to Santa, we want to instill in them the understanding that there are those out there who aren’t so fortunate, and who could use a helping hand.
Charity and volunteer work are great ways to teach your children the importance of helping those around them who desperately need it. From clothing or food donations to committing your time to help around your community, there are many ways to get your child involved and thinking about helping others.
Talk the Talk
A new study, from the United Nations Foundation and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, shows that children whose parents talk to them about charity are 20% more likely to become charitable. In fact, talking to your children about charity is more impactful than simply serving as a role model.
Wondering how to talk to your kids about charity? Debra Mesch, the director of the Women’s Philanthropy institute, says to be direct and specific about what you’re doing and why.
“Saying you need to give to your church because it’s your duty, or give to this organization because it’s the right thing to do, that doesn’t work,” she says. “What works is, ‘You need to give to this homeless shelter because these people will be happier when they have food in their stomachs.’”
Match the Charity with the Child
Once you get to the planning stage of your volunteer work, it’s important to keep in mind that the charity you select should be appropriate for your child’s age and abilities.
Joel Berb, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, told CNBC that bringing a young child to a soup kitchen may sound like a great idea, but in practice, it can be more of a hindrance than help.
“The 7-year-old is making more work for the agencies,” he noted. “They’re too young to move stuff around, and they can’t really be around anything hot, or knives. The time it would take to instruct them is more than it would take for an adult.”
Finding the Right Fit
Looking for the right charity for you and your family? This list of worthy causes is a great place to start. If you want to broaden your horizons, check out VolunteerMatch.org, a site that will help you find exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s based in advocacy and human rights, animals, arts and culture, and more.
If you’re in the Detroit area, some great kid-friendly options include Gleaners, Arts and Scraps, and The Heidelberg Project.
Everyday Ways to Give
Parents.com shared a list of nine simple ways you can help those around you. The list includes ideas such as donating gently used clothing, helping elderly neighbors by raking their lawn, giving blood, buying an extra bag of dog food when you’re at the grocery store to be donated in Sparky’s name, have your kids collect loose change around the house that will be donated to a charity you all agree upon, and just generally contributing your time to helping those in your community.
Participating every day in these small acts of kindness will teach your kids that charity is not just something we do once a year. Preparing children to look around and ask themselves, “How can I help?” is a powerful and valuable lesson that has the potential to positively affect more people than we can imagine.
How do you teach your kids about charity? Share your experiences with us! We’d love to hear how you’ve made charity and volunteer work important to your family.
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Source: http://www.quickenloans.com/
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