Search Results for: blog make volunteering fun

Family Friendly Volunteering

When you can’t always afford to pay for family fun, you can make your own by volunteering! How Can Volunteering Be Fun? First of all, helping others often puts things in perspective. Benefiting people or even animals that are not as fortunate as you are can make anyone appreciate all that they have. Often it forces even children to look around and start enjoying the blessings they already experience. Volunteering really makes us feel good. It is fun in itself. Studies have shown that people who volunteer tend to me more joyful and happier in life. Isn’ t that a … Continue reading →

Five Free Fun Ideas Your Family Probably Isn’t Doing

By now you know how to save money on family fun, but are you really taking advantage of all of the fun family free stuff that is out there? There are plenty of things to do, to see and to learn that can be geared toward the different talents and interests of yourself, your kids and the family as a whole. If your family isn’t doing them, you could be losing out on a lot of free fun. 1. Join free classes and clubs. There are a number of free classes and clubs out there, just waiting for someone to … Continue reading →

Make a List and Check It Twice

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the countdown to Christmas is officially underway, it’s time to fine-tune your list-making skills. This is especially important if you are a parent. The holidays can add even more stress to an already busy life juggling kids, career and a home. Still, no parent wants the season to slip by without making lasting memories with their children. Participating in Christmas-themed activities with your kids is a great way to bring the holiday to life and underscore the true reason for the season. The following are just a few of the many fun and meaningful … Continue reading →

Creating Community: Volunteering

Yesterday we talked a bit about how informal, community acts of helping and giving can create community connections and teach your children about how giving does not need to be onerous. Today, let’s talk about another way of giving (and receiving!): volunteering. I started volunteering as a young child. I recall spending many of my lunch hours in the school store, helping sell yogurt and drinks to other students as a fundraiser for our school council. I worked with one of our supervision aides, a gruff but kind woman who taught me how to make change and do very quick … Continue reading →

Lessons Learned – New Health Blogger Intro

As a new health blogger for Families.com I wanted to take some time to introduce myself. Through the years I’ve been a granddaughter, daughter, two times a wife, sister, and a mother—five times over. At this point, my family consists of only my girls and my sister. Everyone else in my family passed on at a young age, even my first husband. I feel that facing so many health-related tragedies is what spurred me on to study many health fields, as well as doing my best to take care of my own health and that of my girls. No matter … Continue reading →

More Ways to Make Giving Back Fun

By making charitable work fun, you can teach your children that helping those less fortunate is not a chore. There a dozens of ways you can turn an ordinary volunteering experience, into one that your children will never forget. Here are some fun ideas: VOLUNTEER VACATION One way to make volunteering fun is to combine your efforts with a family vacation. Churches around the world offer volunteer opportunities in exotic locales. Consider hooking up with a church or other civic organization that helps struggling families in the country of your choice. You can build homes in Africa or volunteer at … Continue reading →

Make Volunteering Fun

Volunteering can be a rewarding family activity, but if you have reluctant children, then giving back to those less fortunate can be a challenge. The key to motivating your kids to give back is to make the experience as fun as possible. Fortunately, some of the most fulfilling volunteer projects can be found right in your neighborhood. For example, raking leaves in an elderly neighbor’s yard or painting murals at a local community center can be a fun and rewarding family affair. All children have different talents and interests; parents should encourage their kids to share these special gifts during … Continue reading →

Volunteering When You Have Other Children

Schools usually need a lot of volunteers throughout the year. There are many activities, programs, lessons and fundraisers that require parental help. And being a parent who volunteers helps you get to know what the school environment is like. You will also meet other parents, teachers and staff through volunteering. Increasingly though, it is becoming the norm for schools to ban any children from school property if they are not students. Our school used to be open to having siblings visit the classroom, but these days they are not even allowed during official visiting days or even school pageants. Since … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: August 2008

Isn’t it crazy the way babies grow so quickly? It seems that you just get used to one stage and boom they are already into another. Tonight, were busy getting the household all set for my eldest child’s first day of second grade. My two younger ones are excited and want to start school, too. It will be a busy month. Don’t worry about the missing last week of blogs. I’ve gotten quite a few questions about where I have been. The Baby Blog tends to go on hiatus the last week of the month. That may change in the … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Week in Review: August 4th Through August 10th

Did you catch the Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony? We all enjoyed watching most of it as a family and thought it was spectacular. Did you find yourself bouncing or rocking along to the music? Recent research shows that bouncing your baby to music may affect his later music preference in life. We have this story, plus more this past week. Catch up on what you might have missed. August 4th Baby Blog Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd Safety and summer fun have been two themes occurring in the Baby Blog for last week. From tougher toy standards … Continue reading →