Teaching Community Work to Children

Teaching Community Work to Children

Are your kids the sort who help people in need? Have you trained them to greet and be kind to others? Do your children show sympathy for someone in pain?
These are some important lessons of life that children must be taught from a small age. Often we are so afraid of our children mixing up people from other religions, class and/or race, we forget to teach them the basic principle of life……..treat everyone equally.
We are so busy making money and raising our standard of lives that we do not pay much attention to teaching our children moral and ethical values. Even our children are so engrossed in studies and digital media that they are not interested in listening to their parents’ advice. This is not good for these children as they are becoming very materialistic.

As a parent make a few changes

Encouraging your children to do some kind of community work can help you teach them to be more compassionate towards others. Now in Pakistan, there aren’t many opportunities for community work but as a parent, it is your duty to help your child find some social work. You can simply make them start with helping a domestic servant at home or school. For example, your children can teach English to the servant’s child, as the parent is not literate enough to do it himself. If a domestic servant at school or at your office needs some financial help, you can ask your children to collect some money for him. Now, why would your child do these in the first place? How do you motivate him?

Well if you have been doing it yourself, it won’t be a problem encouraging him as he would have seen your example. If you are just beginning to teach your child social work, you can motivate him with rewards. Eventually, he will start enjoying it!

Benefits of Volunteering

  1. Reduces stress, anger, and anxiety as it enhances psychological well-being
  2. Keeping in contact with people helps develop a support system
  3. Research has proved that helping others, gives immense pleasure
  4. It increases self-confidence as giving to the community provides a sense of achievement
  5. A positive approach towards life and future is accomplished as you feel good about yourself
  6. Especially if someone is going through some distress, volunteering can give him a new purpose in life. You can take your mind off your worries and concentrate on offering a helping hand.

No matter what religion, class or ethnicity group you belong to, make your child respect people irrespective of differences. All humans are born equal. No one is better than the other except for those who are kindhearted and do noble deeds. Set good examples for your child by being nice to servants, subordinates and younger ones.

You can check different organizations online that are working for the welfare of people in need and help your child provide some social services, money or material goods. Going to a school of handicapped children and encouraging your child to give some presents to those children on Eid or any occasion can be a good start!

Here are a few places you can check for community work

  1. Hassan Academy Education for Special Children
  2. Special Education Center for Visually Handicapped Children
  3. Special Education Complex
  4. Ibn-e-Sina Special Education Center for Mentally Retarded Children