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How to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer

I’m bringing back Jenny Morgan to share some ways that we can empower our kids to change the world. I love her and you guys did too, so I asked her to share some wisdom and creativity for us apply to our own kids!


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Now that we are fully into our routines at home and school, it’s a great time to identify ways that you and your children can give back to your communities through service and leadership.

Many schools across the nation have incorporated service learning into their curriculum. According to Edutopia, “In service learning, students learn educational standards through tackling real-life problems in their community”. Service learning is an excellent way to involve your children in age- appropriate opportunities to give back, whether at home or as a class project. Some examples of service learning can be simple, such as writing love notes to residents of a senior living home and personally delivering them (there are many without family nearby). A more complex project could be engaging in public policy and visiting Washington D.C. to lobby for passion projects. This experience broadens student’s understanding of the inter-workings of our government and teaches them that they too can have an impact. Students across the nation are changing lives with their personal mission and purpose. Proper implementation of service learning involves preparation, action, and reflection. By incorporating each of these key components with your children or students, they are able to understand the full scope of their projects. If your school has not launched a service-learning initiative,  Good Character offers some excellent examples that you could try on your own or that you could recommend to your school or community center.

Children have incredible insight into ways that we can make the world a better place. My favorite conversations in my classroom often involve a child surprising me with their wit and wisdom, or even better, when they come up with a fantastic plan to help those around them. Teaching your children how to be of service to others indirectly reinforces leadership principles that are helpful for lifelong learning.  Forbes , published a list of ten ways to teach your children about leadership, and their advice is spot on. I absolutely love this list because each recommendation requires active participation. We all learn by doing, so by engaging your children in these experiences, you are generating a sense of purpose, service and leadership. 

Have them try out sports

Focus on emotional intelligence

Embrace failure

Establish sound financial practices

Take them on trips

Teach patience

Give them time to be creative

Practice negotiation techniques with them

Instill dangers of procrastination

Lead by example

Shop Helpful Books

These tools are so helpful, and I am applying them immediately in my family. Please leave any suggestions that you use in your own family below in the comments so that I can use them too! What do you want to hear from Jenny next? Let me know below!

Xx


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