Christmas is an opportune time to involve kids in service projects. By serving others, children learn to reach outside themselves. Your entire family might tackle service projects together, enjoying the added bonus of growing closer together.
Take a look at these fresh ideas for community service projects, along with how each might uniquely benefit your child.
Visit elderly or homebound people. Call an activity director to arrange to visit a resident of a nursing home. For each visit, your kids might take flowers or a home-baked treat or offer to wrap presents. To remove the pressure of making conversation, have your child bring a board or card game to play together; talk will eventually flow naturally.
Benefit: Grandparents and grandchildren are often separated geographically. This can be a good way for your child to learn to respect the dignity of elderly people and to value their life experiences.
Perform neighborly good deeds. Go door-to-door in your neighborhood with your children and offer to rake leaves, shovel snow or sing carols. (Or let your children help you organize a neighborhood Christmas coffee.) Say something like, “We’re raising our kids to love God, and we think an important part of that is helping and encouraging others.” Ask neighbors not to pay your kids, but welcome conversation for them as they work.
Benefit: Kids learn that building a relationship outweighs remuneration. This can also be the start of a lesson in God’s economy; the feeling you get from giving can be far better than any payment.
Volunteer at a homeless shelter / food pantry / soup kitchen. These organizations run throughout the year, so they almost always need volunteers. Check the Yellow Pages under “Social Service Organizations.” Call to ask how children can help.
Benefit: According to USA Today, last year kids 12 and under spent $27.9 billion of their own money and influenced $248.7 billion of their parents’ spending. Simply put, they have almost anything they want. Many have never known hardship but will likely face some financial difficulties later in life.
Rather than sheltering your kids from people in poverty, demonstrate that not everyone has been blessed with a cushy life; some people don’t even have meals or a home. Kids can also learn that God loves and values all individuals.
— Brad Lewis
