When was the last time you and your family gave back? When you see the food bank baskets in the supermarkets, or you see people selling wares for charity in the street, do you contribute? As a society, if we want to do better, it’s often better for us to do that together. It’s so important that you take at least one opportunity per year to make a big impact where you can.
Between the panic of the pandemic and the civil unrest happening in different countries right now, as the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters, there is plenty of room to get involved. If you don’t know where to begin in your home country and you have seen the plight of people abroad and you want to help, then a humanitarian travel agency could help you on your way. Volunteering as a family is extra special because not only does it help you to teach your children, it gives you a chance to spend some quality time together for a good cause. Here are all the reasons that you should choose to volunteer as a family with your children.
- You’re going to teach your children about your values. Your children need to model the same behaviour that you display, and they’re not going to go out and volunteer on their own. It’s important to talk to your children about what values that your family holds, and to reinforce this you should demonstrate your values in action. If you volunteer as a group, you’re going to show the kids that you are dedicated to promoting, supporting and upholding certain issues. You also show that you are willing to spend your time walking and not just talking about it.
- It’s fun and you get time together at the same time. Parents will often lookout for activities that bring family members together. If one of your activities is to spend time putting together baskets for children who are less fortunate at Christmas time, then it’s a common mission. You could shop together for the materials, you could pack them together, decorate the box and even write letters. Is something exciting that you can do as a family and your children will be happy to get involved.
- You are showing your children what the world is. Children need to learn empathy, and learning emotional intelligence is a crucial part of their development. Encouraging your children to be civically engaged can really help this process and when they volunteer within a community, they’re going to interact with other people that have the same passions. Understanding where people come from and hearing all about their lived experiences can help your children to flex their muscles now and later in life.
- You get to help them to learn outside of school. Not all learning is done by rote at a desk at school. Your children are going to learn through volunteering that they will interact with people from all walks of life throughout their lives, so it’s important that they learn the skills needed for the task at hand. You can help them to learn how they can make an impact on an issue throughout their time with their talent and efforts.
