Being a Good Citizen

Being a good citizen means thinking about others. Good citizens help others—at home, at school, in the neighborhood, and in their communities. Families work together to tackle "good deed" projects. But, it is important to keep in mind your child’s interests and abilities when choosing an activity.

Why Volunteer?

Children as well as adults can benefit from the "feel good" glow brought on by volunteering. Community Service: A Family's Guide to Getting Involved points out some of the benefits of volunteering. Community service:

• Helps to bring a family closer together.
• Helps a child learn something new and provides a feeling of accomplishment.
• Strengthens a child's self-esteem by having him recognize what he has to offer to others.
• Teaches a child responsibility, tolerance, and sacrifice.
• Strengthens neighborhood and community connections and provides needed services, often to those who can least afford them.

Resources:

• Community Service: A Family's Guide to Getting Involved from KidsHealth describes the benefits of children volunteering.
• Volunteering With Children from Compassionate Kids provides the rationale for kids’ volunteer work and tips for how to get your child involved.
• Connections: Take Action (PDF) from the American National Red Cross provides community action ideas to help children and families reach out to others.
• Raising Children Who Care from Kaboose offers ideas to parents for volunteering opportunities for kids.
• Children's Volunteering and Resource Guide from Parents.com lists Web sites for finding volunteering opportunities for families.