We can begin helping children develop into compassionate adults at a young age. It is a cumulative process that is propelled forward by caring, involved parents, teachers and caregivers who interact and connect with children and help them in their efforts to make sense of the world. When you watch how children react to seeing another child in distress, it’s evident that they are very able to pick up on other people’s feelings and moods. By constantly explaining what others are likely to be feeling and how we can help them, we help children develop the ability to understand the viewpoint of others. Being able to see a situation from someone else’s perspective is the foundation for character development.

One of the reasons I came to Primrose was because of their long tradition of embedding character development into the daily curriculum from an early age. I knew from my many years of teaching and rearing my own children that character doesn’t just happen by itself. To raise a generation of compassionate adults, we need to start young and make caring for others a way of life whether it’s at home or at school. These days, we spend so much family time shopping, dining out and vacationing that we must make a special effort to turn our focus outward. Volunteering as a family is a great way to educate your children about compassion and generosity.

Volunteering teaches children that they can do things that positively impact the world around them. Even young children can learn to become active participants in their communities! Here are four ideas you can try to start your children volunteering in a meaningful way:

Step 1: Clarify your personal goals and motives for wanting to include your child in volunteer activities. Volunteering is a wonderful way to a share your values with your child, and there’s no better way to show how much you care about others. Pick a cause that is meaningful to you and your family rather than one that is simply convenient. Your enthusiasm will be contagious!

Step 2: Explain the importance of volunteerism and the contribution volunteers can make. A child’s favorite question is “why?” Keep your answers simple and concrete. For example, if you are going to volunteer at the food bank, tell your child that “People give food to the food bank for people who need it, but it’s all mixed up. It will be our job to sort the food so people can find what they need.”

Step 3: Choose volunteer activities to do with your children that are age‐appropriate. Children as young as three can begin volunteering. This is also the age when they begin to enjoy participating in group activities and are better able to follow directions. A few examples:
• Participate in “clean the park” activities. Be sure to have your child wear gloves.
• Take recyclables to recycling collection centers. Did you know that many animal shelters need shredded paper for the animal pens?
• Participate in local races and walks that raise money for a charitable cause that you think is important – most races have a shorter race for children. 

Step 4: Find a child‐friendly not‐for‐profit. Ask questions to help you select the volunteer opportunity that is right for your family:

• Will the organization staff welcome your participation? Is there a specific job that your child can do successfully?
• Who will show you what to do? Are there special clothes or supplies needed for you to volunteer with this organization?
• Does the organization conduct appropriate background screenings on its staff? Does the organization have insurance if there is an accident while your family is volunteering?

Although talking and reading with your children are important to their development, children learn best by watching your example. Activities involving the whole family are especially powerful learning experiences. With the holiday season right around the corner, giving back is especially top‐of‐mind so now is a great time to start a year‐round habit with your children!

You can also try these resources:

Books:

• Because of You by B.G Hennessey
• Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by DyAnne DiSalvo
• Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
• Beatrice's Goat by Page McBrier

Web Sites:

• Kids Care Clubs: www.KidsCare.org
• Family Cares: www.FamilyCares.org
• Volunteer Match: www.VolunteerMatch.org

Cooperation and sharing are basic life skills that enable us to make friends, work successfully in groups and get along well with others. Babies are not born knowing how to cooperate or share. This ability is learned through interactions and experiences with parents and other significant care givers. Around age three, children begin to practice real cooperation when their play requires sharing and taking turns.

Teaching children this age taught me that learning how to cooperate and share is a process. It takes time and interactions with other children to learn that sharing can be fun. All I had to do was spend a few moments listening to my children as they played to understand where they were in the process. When I resisted the urge to interfere in their “negotiations,” I found out the most. We did a lot of role playing as a class to work through issues so we could learn to “make” friends and “get along” with them.

Sharing is necessary if we want working and playing with others to be pleasurable. It builds a foundation for positive character development and is a common thread that runs through caring, cooperation, generosity and citizenship.

Here are a few suggestions you might want to try at home that require cooperation AND are fun.

Model Cooperative Behavior: You are your child’s first teacher, and your behavior greatly influences the way your child acts and feels. Modeling cooperative behavior and helping your child see the benefit to lending a helping hand can turn a chore into an opportunity for fun. For example, you could say “If we work together to clean up the kitchen after dinner, we’ll all be able to listen to the new book you borrowed from the library.”

Family Projects: Plan a family project that includes a task for each family member, such as starting a vegetable or flower garden, mapping out the family vacation or playing a game. Help them see the fun in working together to accomplish a goal.

Cooperation Soup: Cooking is a perfect time to learn about cooperation because children can actively help by gathering ingredients, measuring, mixing and then serving and eating. Read the story of Stone Soup and discuss how the soldiers tricked everyone in the village into contributing to a wonderful pot of soup that everyone could enjoy.

Book Club: Introduce the concept of cooperation by reading books about characters who share, such as The Little Red Hen. Discuss what happens at the end of the story. Ask your child to tell you how they would respond if someone asked them to cooperate on a project.

Making Music: The way children respond to music is magical. Listen to a short piece of music and discuss how the members of the chorus, band or orchestra worked together to make a beautiful sound. It’s easy to gather a simple set of rhythm instruments that children can use to keep time with the music or just sing along with a song on a CD. If you record their production, they will love hearing it over and over knowing that they accomplished it together.