Raising kids isn’t easy…especially in a society that often seems so self-absorbed. (selfies, anyone?)

So how can parents help kids see beyond their own immediate interests and concerns?

By involving their children in opportunities to volunteer their time and energies towards helping others.

While volunteering benefits those on the receiving end – both the individuals and organizations served – it’s hard to quantify how much volunteering benefits the “giver” just as much…if not more.

When you give your child opportunities to help others through volunteering you’re also helping them learn:

Empathy

When looking for opportunities to volunteer, the closer your child can be to the end result (e.g. handing the sandwich to a homeless person not just making the sandwich) the more concrete their understanding will be of what they’re doing.

Which also leads to more engagement in the volunteering process.

Confidence

Children gain confidence when they see their own contributions make a difference in someone else’s life. Their success then encourages them to look for other ways they can contribute to their communities, building leadership skills they will take with them throughout their lives.

Cooperation

Social situations are the best way for children to learn social skills, and volunteering is no exception.

When a diverse range of individuals meet through volunteering, they have a common goal in mind, however different people will often approach the same task in a different way, which can potentially lead to conflict.

Children who witness – and participate in – the process of deliberation among the volunteers learn how important collaboration with others is to achieve the desired end result…helping individuals in need.

Compassion

As children take part in volunteering efforts they learn more about the world around them. As they observe and compare their own lives with that of others they develop compassion for others.

Application of knowledge and skills

In school, children rarely get the opportunity to see how the topics they’re learning can be applied in the real world. However, when volunteering, they learn how organizing tasks and understanding basic concepts (e.g. counting change) play a vital role in a successful venture.

Volunteering can also help kids visualize what they might want to do one day. For example, a child who volunteers at the local hospital or nursing home might be inspired to become a physician or nurse.

Making connections with their family and others

Busy families often have such frazzled schedules with work, school and extra-curricular activities, it often leaves both parents and kids feeling disconnected. When parents and their children are working together as volunteers for their community they have a chance to have fun and to grow closer as a family.

Responsibility

Ever notice how your kids will jump at the chance to help out their friends’ parents when they’re visiting them, but you have to nag to get them to do the same thing at home?

You’re not the only one!

You can put this tendency to good use…when someone is counting on your kid to be there as a volunteer, they’re much more engaged and desirous of doing what they’ve said they would do, which reinforces all the “responsibility” talk they’ve been getting from you!

Possibilities

If you’d like to get your family involved in volunteering efforts, but aren’t sure where to begin, here’s some ideas to get you started.:

Reach out to local hospitals, churches or charities to see if they have any needs

Contact a volunteer clearinghouse, (e.g. VolunteerMatch) which matches volunteers with organizations in need of volunteers.

Check with the bulletin board at the local library to look for any advertisements. You could also put up an ad yourself, notifying your openness to volunteering opportunities.

Check with the park service or whomever is in charge of cleaning up parks in the area…they’d love to have your help and it’s something even the smallest child can take part in.

Handy with tools? If you have older kids you could volunteer for housing repair and renovation projects (e.g. Habitat for Humanity) for low-income residents. 

A community food bank or soup kitchen, nursing home or food delivery service to the elderly are good choices too – they don’t take a lot of time out of your week, but they’re very fulfilling ways to volunteer your time and energy…and lots of fun for the kids too!

Finally, remember to be flexible. Not all hours or locations will fit your schedule. If one volunteer opportunity doesn’t suit your needs, keep looking…you’ll be glad you did!

Most parents often find themselves asking their kids just one single question as soon as they get home from school – “How was school?” It’s only natural for parents to want to find out everything that’s happening in their children’s lives. But asking this question may not be the best way to do it. In fact, many of the kids who are asked, end up becoming defensive or intimidated.

Do you see yourself in a similar situation? Do you want some tips on how to talk to kids so they open up? Read on to find some helpful suggestions that may help.

Timing is Everything

When your child gets home from school, they’re usually tired and just want to wind down and relax. So right after school usually isn’t the best time to ask about their day. They won’t want to think of an answer and would most likely respond with “fine” or “nothing”. Use a more relaxed approach when connecting with your child. Be considerate and aware of how they’re feeling. Instead of bugging them with questions about school, give them a warm welcome and tell them you’ve got some snacks ready? Be with them and let them enjoy their food silently if they wish. You don’t have to do or say anything.  

Ask alternative questions

Aside from the usual “how was school today” question, there are several other questions you can ask to learn about your child’s day at school. Ask open ended and more interesting questions that will direct the conversation.  Ask questions like “what’s the most exciting thing that happened in school today?” or “did anything happen on the playground today that made you laugh?” Understand that not all kids are comfortable talking and opening up. But when you maintain your presence around them and they feel relaxed and not threatened, they will learn to open up without you having to ask.

Share something about your day

Another excellent way to stimulate a conversation about school is by sharing something that happened during your day. Tell them about some interesting or fun experiences you had at work, or if you went out on lunch with a friend, or saw something amusing on your way home. Doing this is an excellent way to encourage a natural conversation to flow.

Use their take-home papers to kick start the conversation

When children bring their masterpieces home, like art projects and school papers, take advantage of these items to initiate a conversation. Ask open ended questions about their work and make sure to pay attention. Show interest as they tell you about it and give them affirmation. This will not only give them the confidence they need to open up to you, it will also boost their self-esteem and inspire them to continue doing good at school.

Know their school schedule

Knowing the events and the schedule of your kids at school can help you formulate the right questions to ask. Find out when they do their PE, library day, science class and so on. So for example, you can ask them about the book their librarian shared with them at school. You can ask them if they have chosen a favorite book and what it is about. Affirm their choice and inspire them to do more reading.

Breakfast is a good time to talk about school

Having the family gathered around the table is a great way to share joys, happy and even bad experiences. Mornings can be an excellent time because your kids have had time to rest and are likely to be in a good mood. While evenings or dinner time is also a good time to discuss the school day, it might not be a perfect time for asking questions if your kids are tired from school.

 It may be a real challenge to encourage your children to open up and share information about school. But with the help of these tips, you’ll find that it’s actually doable. Looking for a school that focuses on a child’s holistic development? Please consider our Colorado Springs preschool.

November is National Gratitude Month. This is the perfect time to teach your children this beneficial emotion. The gift of gratitude is a present you can give your children that will outlast the happiness brought by all their holiday toys. Having gratitude has been shown to block toxic emotions that may rise. People with higher gratitude levels have lower levels of stress and higher self-esteem.

Studies done with children have resulted in better satisfaction with school and home. Children who show more gratitude also give more support to others and have better social support. Having more gratitude will help them in a big way, and will help them grow into caring, empathetic adults. Here are five ways you can foster the development of gratitude among your children this year.

Say Thank You at Home

This is a great way for young and older children to focus on giving thanks. Teach them that whenever they receive a gift or a compliment, they should always say thank you. This starts with the parents. Remember that when your child does something that deserves some ‘thanks’, be generous with your gratitude. Model the behavior you would like them to have.

Teaching children to always say “thank you” will create an atmosphere of gratitude in the home. It will also turn into a lifelong practice. If at first, your children are forgetful to give their thanks, help them by having them restate their sentence with “thank you” included.

Talking It Over

Another habit to create is talking about gratitude with each other. Create a special time each day where everyone lists multiple things they are grateful for. This could be at dinner, during a car ride, or as a part of your children’s bedtime routine. Bonus points if this activity is done many times throughout the day. The question, “what are you thankful for?”, can serve as the high point of any conversation. It will also builds fond memories for your children.

Create a Gratitude Jar

Find a jar that can hold multiple pieces of paper. Decorate it if you wish. Whenever your child wants to (they may need to be reminded) they can write on a piece of paper what they are grateful for. Before you know it, your jar will be full of small, sweet reminders of gratitude. Then, you can either pick a specific time to pull them out and read them together, or you can pick them out one at a time.

Spend Quality Time Together

Children thrive when they are around their parents. One way to foster your relationship is to spend more time with your children. When you spend an ample amount of quality time with them, you are teaching them the language of love. This results in both of you gaining more empathy. This is very important for building gratitude, as empathy is a crucial component of feeling thankful.

So, put away your smartphone and turn off all other distractions. Savor the moments you have together. Spending quality time with your children will give them a better sense of appreciation.

Help Them Find Their Passions

One of the best things you can do for your children is to assist them in finding their sense of purpose. It is an important parental duty to help our children discover what they are passionate about. Another way to foster this growth is to learn ways they can make a difference. When they discover this purpose, they will feel more connected to the world. This is great for fostering gratitude because the deepest sense of gratitude comes from finding our place and connecting to the bigger picture.

This National Gratitude Month you can use these steps to encourage gratitude amongst your children, starting today. Pick a method of encouraging growth of their thankfulness, and stick to it for the whole month of November. By the end of the month, you will be able to see what a difference gratitude makes in your home. It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children to be grateful. This will help them with their stress levels. It will lessen toxic emotions and will help them with the relationships with others. Helping them to be more grateful will impact them throughout their entire lives.