While children are often taught the value of sharing from an early age, many times they don’t fully understand what it means. They often adopt a view that limits the scope by taking on two primary characteristics. One, that the other child must have something for them to share as well, and two, that they will get their item back. This understanding is nice as a basic introduction, but it doesn’t truly get them to understand the extent of selflessness necessary. By teaching children as young as five about the importance of giving without expecting anything in return, they learn the benefit of service to their community.
When kids generously give, they learn to keep their focus off of the simple material world. This leads to a more fulfilling life and can often help build new and meaningful friendships. Similarly, volunteering can help deepen familial bonds as it can bring out the best in people. This leads to family seeing sides of each other that they may not normally see.
Encouraging children to spend their time giving back will also lead to an enhanced understanding of the world around them. By exposing kids to different aspects of life, they often learn to have more sympathy for those who are outside of their immediate surroundings. With this in mind, it’s important for adults to strongly consider bringing children along when they spend time volunteering.
It can sometimes be hard to find ways to get children involved in volunteer work, as many opportunities are tied to age. Fortunately, Yadestiny Treasure Chest is the right place to come for volunteer openings that the whole family can take advantage of. YTC seeks volunteers aged six and up. See https://yadestinytreasurechest.org/get-involved/volunteer/ for more details.
By: Karyne Tinord