Causecast

by KERRI FERNSWORTH FEAZELL, Contributing Writer

Parents: are you tired of hearing your kids whine about what they don’t have? Always telling them to pick up their trash? Reminding them how much work it will be to take care of the puppy they want? Read on! Causecast has the solution to your problems! (OK, we’re not quite ready to broadcast infomercials on the topic, but really, read on for some cool ideas.)

This summer, the White House unveiled the United We Serve initiative, encouraging Americans of all ages to get involved improving their communities.

Volunteering with your kids is a wonderful way to be a part of this movement, and in the process teach your children to value what they have and respect their environment.

Wouldn’t it be great to have some new answers to your kids’ most common questions?

“Can you buy me a new Barbie?”

Homeless shelters and food pantries are great places to volunteer for an afternoon. Many organizations make it easy for kids to join in by serving food and participating in activities. Meeting a homeless child has the potential to be a powerful lesson—when your child realizes some kids their age don’t even have a place to live, maybe they’ll be inspired to donate some of their extra Barbies to their new friends.

“Ugh! It’s just a candy wrapper, what difference does it make?”

“It could end up in the lake, river or even the ocean and neither you nor the fish want to swim in it.”

Many communities organize trash cleanups (and if they don’t have one yet, why not get a group together and make it happen)! Picking up trash at your kids’ favorite place to swim is a great way to help them connect the dots between their actions and consequences. It also gives you a chance to make your family’s recreation spot more safe and clean. If you want to stay closer to home, it’s probably easier than you think to fill up a trash bag in your own neighborhood.

“I promise I’ll take care of the puppy; it’s so cute! Can we get one? Can we? Can we? Can we?”

“Let’s spend some time at the animal shelter so you can learn about taking care of a puppy.”

Volunteer dog walkers are always needed at local animal shelters. You might even find the perfect pet, but before you do, your child will understand how much work it takes to care for an animal—and where they go when people can’t or won’t take care of them anymore.

Volunteer Match is a great resource to search for kid and teen-friendly volunteer opportunities near you. It might even prove to be a great way to find some free entertainment; if you’re anywhere near El Cerrito, CA, volunteer pinball machine players are needed!

Still looking for the ultimate summer volunteer experience? Consider taking the whole family on a volunteer vacation.

Photo by qnr, flickr.