Teaching Your Child to Give Back to the Community

Community involvement is a fantastic way to help your child with their personal development and there’s no time like the present to get started. Teaching them the importance of “giving back” will help them with various key skills and might even influence their decisions as they grow up. You might be wondering where to start, so I have teamed up with a private school in Essex to give you some advice. 

First of all, it’s important to bear in mind that your child may have different interests to you, so they might be drawn to different types of community work than what you are. For instance, they might have a friend at school who has Autism and therefore have an interest in companies and charities that help with special educational needs. Alternatively, they might have a relative who is battling cancer, which might draw them to charities like Cancer Research UK or Marie Curie. Try not to force your child into helping a cause that they have no connection with, as it will not have the desired effect. 

There are lots of ways they can get involved with the community and many of the options will depend on their skills. For instance, older children might be able to apply for a job volunteering in a charity shop. If they’re younger or you’d prefer them to stay at home, you could consider downloading an app that allows you to donate for meals and other basic necessities. 

Even encouraging your child to sort through their old toys and clothes and taking them down to the charity shop rather than throwing them out is a great way to teach your child about giving back, while also encouraging them to appreciate how lucky they are. It will allow them to understand that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, teaching them to be empathetic and more open-minded. 

Do some research into your local area and find out if there are any upcoming charity events or other activities that you and your family could get involved in. It might also be worth contacting your child’s school to see if they know of anything appropriate. It’s a great way to get your child to spend their time productively and learn some valuable lessons along the way.