Raising a family can feel like a full-time job, sometimes on top of a second full-time job. Feeding, clothing, and keeping your children alive to face another day is already exhausting enough, let alone molding them into kind, socially conscious human beings. However, giving back as a family is truly one of the most rewarding ways to spend time together. Not only will the children be learning the importance of community and compassion, but it becomes an opportunity to bond and stay close to the most important people in your life.
Giving back doesn’t need to mean just serving food to the homeless on holidays. There are many opportunities to help your community, all year round. Some can be done from a distance, such as setting up a recurring donation to a cause that your family discusses and learns about together. A monthly discussion of the cause and any new progress achieved will help keep it fresh in everyone’s minds. This helps to make sure that it becomes a lesson and not just another bill. This method of giving may be the most practical when children are very young, and families are particularly busy.
Other ways to give back involve rolling up your collective sleeves and getting to work, such as helping to set up a fundraising event or being on the front lines collecting donations for a worthy cause. While money is always helpful, sometimes an extra few pair of hands helping to organize is even more essential. Additionally, it can help to show your children the real and direct benefits of the work they are doing.
Other fun ways to give back to a cause are family events such as walk-a-thons, runs, or other races. Though a more viable option for older children, this will have the added bonus of getting everyone outdoors together, both for the race itself and while training for it. It will feel good both morally and physically to complete one of these tasks, and will hopefully become a recurring event in your family’s lives.
The best fit will depend on your family’s schedule and resources, but making sure to approach these choices together will be as fulfilling for your family as for the cause you are seeking to help. Whether time, money, or effort, there is no wrong way to help make the world a better place. The only way to fail is not to try at all.