How to Teach a Child to Help Others
Perform a volunteer activity with your child., Make donations with your child., Get your child involved in the neighborhood., Give them household tasks to do.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Perform a volunteer activity with your child.
Volunteering can be a great way to instill a sense of giving in your child.
It also makes the idea of helping more than an idea but a practice that they can continue as they get older.
A variety of volunteer activities probably exist in your community that you can perform with your child to demonstrate how they can help others.
Visit or call a community center, library, school, church, or other local non-profit organization to participate in a charity event or fundraising activity.
Some organizations may have special activities for children.
Make sure to call ahead to find out if it's the right fit.
Try to find something that aligns with your child's interests.
If they like animals, see if there are opportunities at a local animal shelter.
If they like to play games, a nursing home where volunteers entertain the elderly may be a great choice. -
Step 2: Make donations with your child.
By donating used toys, clothing, and money to charity, your child can learn how their contributions can help others.
Sort through old toys and clothing with your child to determine what they no longer play with or wear.
Then take your child with you to donate these items to a charity.
This way they can see that things they no longer use are helping a child much like themselves and can feel the joys of giving.
It might also help to put together baskets of food and toys for those that are less fortunate. , Helping people your child sees regularly will help them form a sense of community and to see how being helpful affects everyday people.
Help your child run errands or perform household chores for elderly neighbors.
If your child is young it can be something as simple as checking their mail.
For older children they can take part in more intensive tasks like yard work.
Suggest to your child that they help their friends in times of need; such as collecting their friends' homework assignments from school when they are ill or helping them pack their belongings when they are moving to a new home.
Teach them to recognize situations people need help in, such as when they feel they need help themselves, and to take measures to alleviate a burden. , Many parents give their children chores to do and this can be a great way to teach them to be helpful.
They can be taught that they are part of the family unit and the value of everyone chipping in to help.
Start a chore chart.
This way a child can learn to do helpful tasks like taking out the trash or washing the dishes and slowly get rewarded in order to build up good behaviors.
It is best if the rewards are gradual so they have to persistently help in order to build up good habits. -
Step 3: Get your child involved in the neighborhood.
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Step 4: Give them household tasks to do.
Detailed Guide
Volunteering can be a great way to instill a sense of giving in your child.
It also makes the idea of helping more than an idea but a practice that they can continue as they get older.
A variety of volunteer activities probably exist in your community that you can perform with your child to demonstrate how they can help others.
Visit or call a community center, library, school, church, or other local non-profit organization to participate in a charity event or fundraising activity.
Some organizations may have special activities for children.
Make sure to call ahead to find out if it's the right fit.
Try to find something that aligns with your child's interests.
If they like animals, see if there are opportunities at a local animal shelter.
If they like to play games, a nursing home where volunteers entertain the elderly may be a great choice.
By donating used toys, clothing, and money to charity, your child can learn how their contributions can help others.
Sort through old toys and clothing with your child to determine what they no longer play with or wear.
Then take your child with you to donate these items to a charity.
This way they can see that things they no longer use are helping a child much like themselves and can feel the joys of giving.
It might also help to put together baskets of food and toys for those that are less fortunate. , Helping people your child sees regularly will help them form a sense of community and to see how being helpful affects everyday people.
Help your child run errands or perform household chores for elderly neighbors.
If your child is young it can be something as simple as checking their mail.
For older children they can take part in more intensive tasks like yard work.
Suggest to your child that they help their friends in times of need; such as collecting their friends' homework assignments from school when they are ill or helping them pack their belongings when they are moving to a new home.
Teach them to recognize situations people need help in, such as when they feel they need help themselves, and to take measures to alleviate a burden. , Many parents give their children chores to do and this can be a great way to teach them to be helpful.
They can be taught that they are part of the family unit and the value of everyone chipping in to help.
Start a chore chart.
This way a child can learn to do helpful tasks like taking out the trash or washing the dishes and slowly get rewarded in order to build up good behaviors.
It is best if the rewards are gradual so they have to persistently help in order to build up good habits.
About the Author
Sara Wells
Writer and educator with a focus on practical pet care knowledge.
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