Let’s Try Service as a Gift

Everybody likes an early Christmas gift. You can lavish early gifts of volunteerism on your teens and children. Create little gift cards for volunteer activities they can do for others. Give them as many gift cards as you want (they can never help too much). This is the best gift ever. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like it’s such a great gift, but let’s take a second look.

Here are just a few benefits they may gain as a result of lending a helping hand:

1. This is truly a self-esteem booster. Teens learn that they have something to contribute to others, they feel more powerful and competent. They discover that they aren’t all bad and that they have gifts and talents.

2. They learn about talents and skills that they didn’t know about. They may discover that they have very good organizational skills, and people skills, their vocabulary may increase, and their negotiation skills may be developed.

3. Teens may find their life passion as a result of helping others freely.

4. They will realize that they are blessed and that they have a lot more than they think. This is called gratitude. Few people become more grateful as a result of receiving, it is when we give to others who are less fortunate, that we learn to appreciate what we have.

5. This gift of volunteerism, parents, is free, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Your teens and children will remember their volunteer experiences for the rest of their life..

I think we all can agree that too many, teens and adults are looking for somebody else to pay their way. Let’s teach children and teens something different. Let’s teach them that they are part of a big world, and they have something to offer others. If we, don’t teach teens and children to care about something outside of themselves, who will?