Kids Giving Back
It only takes one person to make a difference to someone else’s life
Looking around us we see a world where our children are all too often immersed in the worlds of computer and tv screens, and removed from real life experiences.
Volunteering immerses our children in real life, helping others and interacting with people from all walks of life. In volunteering our children discover their own strengths and qualities, and use these to help others. Some consider it a preventive ingredient to balance our children from the materialistic consumer world we live in.
Volunteering is a two way street, giving children and their families
an opportunity to change lives, including their own.
Immersing ourselves in giving to others, we are often initially unaware of how much we ourselves are gaining. One of the driving mottos of Kids Giving Back is “Do and you will understand”. Often we only fully understand the true value of our actions after doing them. As our children mature they will come to fully appreciate the value of volunteering, and to understand what they have given, and what they in turn have received.
Volunteering is a great way for kids to dig deep into their own inner resources. The lessons they learn through hands on experiences are ones they carry with them throughout life.
Kids discover inner strengths and life skills when they volunteer. Teamwork, cooperation, tolerance and problem solving help them to cope with the daily challenges they encounter in their own lives.
Children learn what it means to be a valued member of a community. Growing into adulthood with a greater sense of social responsibility makes children more likely to volunteer throughout their lives.
Children develop compassion as they learn the value of giving to others. They learn to recognize and appreciate the goodness in their own lives.
Volunteering gives kids the chance to meet a range of different people from totally different backgrounds, and to make new friends. It enhances kids’ emotional development and fosters socializing and communication skills.
Family volunteering is a powerful bonding experience that creates life long memories.
Volunteering feels good, and lets kids know that they can make a difference. Kids’ involvement in service to others brings out their sense of self worth, giving them the understanding that they do have something to contribute to society.
Moving beyond their comfort zone and learning new skills encourages self-confidence. Volunteering encourages kids to do things they’re good at, as well as things they want to learn about.
Family volunteering can involve your whole family, or just some family members. Any combination works!
Our children need time, not stuff
A recent UNICEF study shows that our children need time, not stuff, and that countries in which children are happiest are those that value family time and family experiences.
In What’s Happening to our Boys, and What’s Happening to our Girls, Psychologist Maggie Hamilton explores the emotionally complex, over-stimulated 21st century world our children must navigate. The acquisition of computer games is paramount, and kids spend endless hours each day engaged in virtual worlds. Cyber bullying, the power of marketing aiming to seduce our children at every turn with rampant materialism, and concerns about body image both amongst boys and girls are just a few of the challenges our children face daily. Under huge pressure, their anxiety levels are growing, leaving parents largely at a loss and equally anxious. The freedoms our children experience leave them more vulnerable and more in need of structure than ever before.