Volunteer With Your Kids

It's never too early to get your kids involved in volunteering, and it's never too late for you to start. From nursing homes to libraries to meal deliveries and youth groups, there are hundreds of opportunities for you and your children to enrich others' lives together while making yours more fulfilling as well. Filling up those school-less summer hours doesn't hurt, either.

Explain Volunteering

Before participating in any volunteering activities with your kids, first explain to them what you're doing and why you're doing it. For example, if you decide to restock the shelves of your local food bank, considering telling your son or daughter "Other kids don't always have enough to eat, so we're helping them keep their tummies full." Make it relatable so your kids understand how and why they're affecting others' lives for the better.

Where to Start

Whether you know what you'd like to do or don't know where to begin, contact your local community center, nursing home, library, school, park, food bank, hospital, animal shelter or any number of government-funded entities. They can get you started on a project or connect you with another agency specializing in volunteerism. The mild weather during the summer also maximizes the number of volunteer opportunities available, such as picking up litter in the park or helping to socialize and/or walk puppies from the animal shelter.

What They Can Learn

Volunteering not only shows children that they're capable of helping other people, it also allows them to experience responsibility and accountability. Most volunteering activities will allow your kids to foster new lifelong friendships and possibly meet new mentors who can teach them about caregiving, animal and human medicine, home repair or any other number of skills. One of the greatest impacts of volunteering is the boost in your kids' self-esteem and the initiative they may have later in life to help others on their own.

A Few Ideas

A few organizations that may be ideal for family-oriented volunteering include: Habitat for Humanity, which doesn't require experience in construction and is perfect for group projects; local church youth groups, which are usually involved in ongoing community volunteering efforts; the Humane Society, which is always looking for volunteers to help care for abandoned animals; American Cancer Society's Relay for Life; Meals On Wheels; and national or local parks. Once you and your kids find something you both love among the innumerable possibilities, your summer--and relationships--will thrive.