The physical requirements of providing for our children, in addition to the emotional demands of the pre-teen and teenage years, can make our heads spin.

 

We stay busy shuttling kids to all of their activities in an effort to boost self -esteem, but is that the best way to give our kids a healthy self-image? The job of a parent also includes raising good citizens. If we want our children’s generation to have a conscience and to care about others, we can start by teaching them to connect with those in need. Help your child identify a problem and assist him or her in creating a plan for a solution. Start small and be sure to encourage any service even if it seems trivial to you.

 

Young people have such amazing idealism and creativity that, when focused on a specific cause, can move mountains. Are the streets where you live littered with trash and debris? It might be fun for your child to round up some friends to clean up an entire block or if your child has an interest in science, you could nurture a seed into a small tree and transplant it in an area that needs revival.

A youngster that is curious about environmental issues may like to conduct a door-to-door collection of used batteries and take them to the recycling center for proper disposal.  If you have a strong reader, maybe he would like to assist a local child that is struggling with reading.

There are so many ways that kids can make a difference, so find something that interests your child and start today.  Keeping your kids connected to their neighborhood is a great way to build self -esteem!