I have talked about family traditions before. Here’s a different kind of family tradition, one where your family gives back to the community. I have also talked about the benefits of volunteering, another great way to get your kids involved in the community. Why not start a family tradition of community service?
If you look around your community, I am sure you will find things that need to be done and can be done without a lot of expense. For instance, something as simple as picking up debris in your neighborhood or cleaning up a local park can be done for the price of a few trash bags and some protective gloves. Or, how about helping an elderly neighbor with simple home repairs or creating a neighborhood garden? Your family can work alone or enlist the aid of neighbors, keeping in mind that if no one else volunteers, your family will still complete the project (so keep it manageable).
There are many more traditions you can start. You can, for instance, have a neighborhood garage sale and donate all the proceeds to a local charity. You can start a food or clothing drive. Or you can collect books for your local library. Currently our library is accepting books for their annual book sale. If your library has a sale, collect books from your neighbors and drop them off.
You are limited only by your imagination. In the same way that your kids gain from family traditions, like movie night or family game night, they will also gain from participating in a family tradition of community responsibility. And it’s never too early to start teaching kids about the benefits of giving. Even the youngest child can be enlisted to donate toys they no longer want so that a less fortunate child can enjoy it.
Don’t forget to reward your kids for their efforts. Take them out for a movie, ice-cream or a special dinner once they complete the project!
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