This time of year, parents are spending a lot of energy getting their children ready for the new school year. There are pencils, binders, notebooks, lunchboxes and glue sticks to buy. The bus schedule has to be scrutinized and the outfit for the first day of school must be carefully chosen. There is discussion about schedules and which teachers will be the molders of your child’s mind for the next 10 months. But beyond math, ELA, social studies and science, parents have been talking about what schools are teaching about social responsibility and how they can augment that education. Here are some easy ways you can get your kids involved.
Talk about Charitable Giving
According to a study done by the Better Business Wise Giving Alliance, 62 percent of 1,000 parents they surveyed talk about charitable donations or volunteerism with their children. Talking to your kids about the nonprofit causes you support and why is the first step towards seeing there are more important things to spend money on than toys. Set a good example, by talking to them about the importance of doing homework on the nonprofits you support, such as looking at their website or social media channels.
Connect Kids with a Charity that Interests Them
Kids are more likely to want to be involved in a cause that is part of their world. If they like animals, they may want to donate to World Wildlife Fund or for teens volunteer at the New England Aquarium or a local animal shelter. If they are interested in sports, they can volunteer for the Special Olympics. Having a family member or friend who has battled a challenge, such as an illness, can also inspire them into action.
Encourage Kids to Donate Old Items
Make your children a part of the giving process by asking them to select clothes and toys they’ve outgrown to donate to nonprofits. Organizations like Cradles to Crayons, Big Brother Big Sister, and daycare centers often accept gently used children’s items. You can also donate used books to your local library for their next book sale. Additionally, if you give your kids allowance, encourage them to set aside a certain percentage to donate to nonprofits. There are special banks for kids with compartments for spending, saving, and giving.
Volunteer with Your Kids
Don’t leave the kids behind when you do a fundraising walk or spend a day in a soup kitchen. Many charities have ways for kids to participate. The Pan-Mass Challenge organizes shorter PMC Kids Rides for kids who could never make the trek from Sturbridge to Provincetown. Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger has stops with buses along the 20 mile route, so walkers can do only the amount that is right for them.
Show Respect to Others
Kids learn by what they see their parents do. They will model your behavior in ways both big and small. When they see you give your seat up on the subway to an elderly person or hold the door for someone else when entering a building, they will learn that is the right way to behave. Even something as simple as teaching them to say thank you builds their understanding of gratitude and appreciation.
Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Teaching kids to be aware and sensitive to the needs of others is as important as teaching them to walk, talk, read and write.
