It’s well known that community involvement and volunteering have many benefits, including improved self-confidence and academic performance. Your child, however, may not understand what makes these activities so valuable. Here are five arguments you can use to convince your child that social involvement is as good for them as it is for the community.
Self-esteem and confidence in one’s abilities are important factors in academic success. The more a child believes in their ability to achieve something, the more likely they are to succeed. The advantage to community engagement is that it allows your child to develop this belief in a test- and exam-free environment. As for volunteering, your child gets to feel useful and be part of a group, which helps boost self-esteem!
It’s normal for kids’ interests and passions to change constantly, especially during adolescence. However, this can sometimes be destabilizing for a child, causing them to doubt their own strengths and interests. Volunteering is a good way to address this issue. Here are some examples of potential volunteer opportunities based on various interests:
- If your child likes animals: encourage them to volunteer at the SPCA
- If your child likes writing: suggest becoming pen pals with someone at a seniors’ home
- If you child likes math: encourage them to help younger kids who struggle with math homework
- Etc.
Is your teenager still figuring out what they want to do in life? Don’t panic—that’s perfectly normal! If your child is drawn to more than one career path, you can suggest that they look for internship or job shadowing opportunities with professionals in their fields of interest. Students who have a better idea of what area they want to work in are often more motivated in school and less likely to drop out. They also tend to have an easier time with course selection. Plus, interning and job shadowing are great for your child’s résumé!
There are many places your child could volunteer their time:
- A veterinary clinic
- A hospital or long-term care facility
- A fire station
- A library
- An environmental organization
- A youth or community centre
- A retirement home
- Etc.
Without question, one of the major tasks that parents and teachers share is fostering young people’s autonomy. In school, autonomy is important for getting to class on time and taking good notes, while at home, it helps kids stay on top of their homework and personal responsibilities. Of course, autonomy is essential in adulthood as well! Getting involved in their community will allow your child to hone different aspects of their autonomy as they become responsible for new tasks, such as the following:
- Managing a budget or money
- Executing a big, long-term project
- Respecting deadlines
- Organizing meetings or events
- Etc.
It can be difficult for a child to grasp the relevance of what they learn in school. In a classroom setting, learning is often abstract and seemingly difficult to apply to everyday life. Fortunately, a number of studies have found that there’s a link between community involvement and academic success, notably due to the knowledge and skills the former gives students a chance to exercise. Volunteering also appears to have a positive effect on various skills:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Time management
- Decision-making
- And many others!
Writing : The Alloprof Parents' team