The significance of parents volunteering with their children is incredible. However, while there are many ways for parents to be involved with their children’s volunteer work, some parents may not know why they should be part of it. From spending time together to enjoying giving back together, parents and children can join together for volunteerism that is fun, validating and long lasting.
For starters, family time is incredibly important to the developmental stages of a child’s life. The people that surround children are the most influential to their success and maturity. This being said, volunteering together can be a change of pace from a family’s daily routine and can be fun for everyone involved.
By incorporating volunteerism early on, parents are more likely to instill values and morals that come along with service work. Starting children off early with skills like hard work, communication and empathy may help in encouraging children to maintain giving back throughout their lives, building an entire lifestyle that includes volunteerism.
Most importantly, children pick up on what their parents are doing, feeling and saying. Leading by example can be one of the most integral ways to ensure that children are motivated to give back as well. When parents volunteer for things they are passionate about and involve their families, children have the opportunity to do the same. This creates a feeling of purpose in their service work that drives people to continue volunteering.
When it comes to picking service opportunities, parents can choose from a variety causes to get involved with. The main idea is that children are involved as well – so keeping their interests in mind is important too! A great resource to help families select their cause together can be found in our recent blog “Picking a Service Project: The Beginner’s Guide to Volunteerism."
