There few extracurriculars that are as beneficial for your child as volunteering. Study after study has shown that volunteering improves mental health. It reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and increases happiness. These benefits are especially significant for children today who are at risk of developing anxiety and depression at younger ages. Volunteering isn’t only good for your child’s mental wellbeing. It is an enriching educational activity that helps them grow in 4 key areas: social skills, empathy, self-efficacy, and civic responsibility.
Social Skills
Volunteer opportunities give kids the chance to work alongside others. Getting their hands dirty with people at different life stages and from diverse backgrounds sharpens their social skills. It allows them to learn how to engage with people, unlike themselves and your family. It can teach them how to work with a team, as well as take and receive feedback.
Volunteering with a diverse group of people can also expand their friend group. It can give them a strong sense of belonging and community. Humans are social creatures wired for society, but we often overlook this social aspect of our nature in our individualized culture.
Empathy
Children aren’t born with a strong sense of empathy. Like other social skills, they have to develop it. Donating your time to help people or animals is a powerful tool to foster empathy. It allows your child to see others’ needs being met with compassion and care. Volunteer opportunities that take them out of their comfort zone and open their eyes to others’ needs can have a last impact on them.
Self-Efficacy
Children are often passionate about civic causes and environmental issues that they learn about in school. Like many of us, they may feel powerless to make a real impact. Finding a volunteer opportunity that allows them to make a tangible difference in your community can empower them and give them an outlet for their passion. It teaches them that they can make a difference in areas that matter to them. Along the way, they can gain valuable practical skills they can take back with them to school and into the workplace in the future. Volunteering is a hands-on learning experience. It teaches them what they are capable of and allows them to turn their passion into action.
Civic Responsibility
Volunteering in your community helps your kid become invested in the people and the place where you live. Along with creating positive memories, they can develop a commitment to care for their local community. Our nation was founded on the belief that civic engagement is the backbone of a healthy country. Volunteering is an opportunity to put that into action by donating their time and energy to benefit your community.
Giving up a Saturday morning or school night to volunteer in the community can feel like a big sacrifice, but it is worth it! Volunteering is an excellent bonding activity that helps your child grow into a happy, compassionate adult. It sharpens their social skills, fosters greater empathy, teaches them that they can impact their community, and gets them invested in civic life.
We believe deeply in the value of enriching children through activities that help them grow as a whole person. That is foundational to our learning philosophy. Discover how we put our philosophy in action at Kids’ R Kids Avalon Park!