Time with family is sacred to you. Despite a busy work schedule and your kids’ school commitments, you spend time together so your children know that you are there for them. Time spent together is how you pass on your love and teach your children about values. It’s where you build their sense of security and self-esteem and prepare them for their lives as adults.
It is great when the time that you spend with your family includes activities that enforce your values. For example, attending religious services or political events together can develop and strengthen your spiritual and cultural beliefs. Trips to the library show that you value education, and visits to museums can foster an appreciation for history and art.
What about charitable activities? If you want to teach your children to give back to their community and the larger world, then you may want to consider participating in activities that focus on helping others. It doesn’t take a lot of time, and you will be modelling important values and building character. Here’s how you can dedicate a small amount of family time to charity.
Simple things
If you want to keep it simple, consider offering assistance with yard work to an elderly neighbour. You can have a sing-along at a care home. You can volunteer to serve a meal at a free meals programme or prepare a meal together to take to a homeless shelter. Your family will see first-hand how helping others is incredibly rewarding.
Make it a family project to collect everything in the house that you no longer need, and go together to a thrift shop to donate it. You and your family can get crafty and create cards or some other craft to sell. There are lots of DIY ideas to be found at your local craft shop. You can even go old-school with a lemonade stand, as long as everyone pitches in and the money goes to your favourite charity.
Health and charity
There are some easy ways to combine outdoor family outings and charitable activities. The combination has the added benefit of reinforcing a healthy lifestyle.
You and your kids can help create a colourful container and make a Penny Appeal. When your family takes walks together, you can ask for penny donations (or more) that will go towards funding poverty relief. There are several campaigns on JustGiving.com, from £30 to buy 30 meals to £300 to build a well. No matter what amount you raise, JustGiving is a way for your family to make a difference.
You can offer to walk dogs and donate the fees to your favourite organisation. Check out the numerous family fun runs that benefit charities in your community. Some runs require you to get pledges, while others just use your entrance fee as the donation.
The list is nearly endless. It’s just a matter of you and your family brainstorming some ideas about how you want to get involved in charitable activities. You’ll have a great time while enforcing great values.
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