Dr Richard C. Woolfson
Your child is, by nature, pro-social. That is, he instinctively shows concern for others, from comforting his distressed friend, helping his little sister find her lost toy, to setting the dinner table and completing a task for his teacher. So he already has an understanding that he should help and support others in his family and beyond. Take this one notch up and introduce him to the concept of volunteering.
Your child will learn that volunteering:
+ Extends his understanding of lending a helping hand
+ Requires effort and planning
+ Means he has to give up some of his own time for someone else
+ Provides interesting and new experiences for him
+ Is an opportunity for him to learn new skills
+ Shows him that he can make a difference in another person’s life
Let’s get started
Share with your child the different ways volunteers contribute to society for example, helping the elderly, teaching others new skills such as reading and writing, and gathering used (but still in good condition) items for those who can’t afford them.
The Internet has a wealth of information about the work of different voluntary organisations. Encourage him to read up on them, all thewhile emphasising the positive effects that volunteering has on those at the receiving end, as well as on the volunteers themselves.
Then take him to see volunteering first-hand. Identify the type of volunteer work he’s interested in and arrange a visit to an appropriate organisation. He may not start volunteering immediately but may be inspired by what he sees.
Walk the talk
Most voluntary positions are for adult and teenagers. So, the easiest way for your child to get started is for the two of you to volunteer together. Have him accompany you to your volunteer sessions.
He should be able to get involved to some extent with your supervision, and seeing you give up your time for others will help stimulate his interest. At the same time, you are setting yourself up as a good role model for him, as you share about the impact of your commitment on the recipients.
Alternatively, if volunteering together is not possible due to your own time constraints, try to arrange something on a smaller scale. For example, under the supervision of the teachers at his school, he could help in the nursery class or be a “buddy” to a socially vulnerable pupil in the playground. Have a chat with school staff to explore this type of possibility.
Closer to home, you could try to arrange for your child to visit an elderly neighbour once or twice week to help with, say, sweeping the floor or simply chatting with him or her. The specific volunteer activity itself isn’t as important as the fact that volunteering teaches your child the importance of helping others.
Related story: 5 ways to teach children compassion
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