“Everyone can be great because anybody can serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
— The Reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The building and exercising a servant’s heart by showing your child how to get involved, no matter their age, will help them not only learn the importance of a simple act of kindness but help them understand that they can make a difference in someone’s life.
To help the child act courageously, it is important that you, the parent, help the child find their inner hero by setting a good example of standing up for others and helping others.
Children are never too young to learn the value and joy of helping others. Children learn by watching their parents, guardian, or teachers. Children naturally want to be helpful, and it makes them feel good to help others and appreciate their home life more by helping others. But, it is YOU the parent that creates this atmosphere that will make YOUR child want to help others.
Go forth and help in your community and take the little one with you, even if under 5, they are a wonderful joy to take to a nursing home and walk around and talk with the residence.When my daughter was 5 and son was 11, I volunteered 3 days a week at their school. As the children grew I volunteered in recycling and community actives so their mother has been doing volunteer work for 50 years in different community groups.
There are always needs in any community: When a child sees you helping others and getting involved and being a person that helps others, the child will certainly see that process and YOU can take them along on your volunteering or community work.
You and your child will be Superheroes in any volunteer program.
Volunteer at the library for the “Children’s Reading”
Volunteer at the hospital helping in the Children’s Department
Take your child to the animal shelter and volunteer to walk the dogs or to help clean out the animal’s room – sweeping, and cleaning cages. Ask your child to donate part of their allowance to donate dog or cat food. To lead by example offer to match or double their donations.
There are so many needs in every community and I am sure your child would develop into a wonderful giving-back adult when they do these small things while growing up.
Make food donation to the churches in the community that have food pantries for the Homeless. Veterans groups would be a wonderful place for a child to learn to give back to men and women who have made it possible for America to be Free.
There may be older people in your neighborhood who need help now and then. Mowing their yard, raking leaves, getting to the doctor, running errands.
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