LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – It’s Parenting Connection Tuesday and 6 News is here for you with tips, strategies, and helpful reminders from local child development experts on how we can be better parents and guardians.
Today’s topic: How to strengthen your family through volunteering.
Research shows that helping others can help build family connections, plus — teach your kids some specialized skills with communication and problem-solving. In fact, according to the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment at Indiana University – families that volunteer together experience a variety of positive outcomes. For example, kids who volunteered with their families said the experience helped them gain a deeper perspective on life, and growth development experts say, it helps children better communicate their values to other people.
Here are 6 tips for volunteering with your children to get success:
*Be a volunteering role model. Kids like to copy mom and dad, so let them follow your lead.
*Make volunteering part of the family schedule. That way it gets infused into everybody’s routine.
*Brainstorm with your kids about what kind of projects the family would want to do together.
*Find volunteer activities that fit your family’s interests. For example, if as a family you love animals, then maybe find an animal shelter or wildlife rescue that needs help.
*Find something fun. Doing something for the community or an organization doesn’t have to be dreaded.
*At first, find something easy. Don’t immediately sign up for a full day’s work.
Child development experts say — volunteering as a family can include some really great stuff, like spending quality time together, learning beyond the classroom, and helping your community… and now that it’s the start of 2023 — you could make it a possible new year’s family resolution.
