Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

This is something I feel REALLY strongly about - I want volunteer work to become a part of our family life, and something we do at least once a month as a family. But, I'm wondering at what age is it really appropriate to start and what kinds of volunteer work to start out with a 4-ish year old.

Any of you preschooler moms doing anything? How often? What kind of stuff?

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

I agree, I used to volunteer all the time when I was in elementary school and older, but I think they are a little young yet.

We pick several organizations to donate physical goods to and they help me shop for the items, pack them up and bring them to the post office. We do at least one box a month.

Most of the time we pick a military unit and send some of the items they are requesting. We go through Anysoldier.com to get the requests. Sarah's class (4 year old pre-k) got involved last month and all the kids made cards that we sent to an Air Force unit in Afghanistan. We obviously don't send everything they are asking for, but every little bit helps.

This month we are doing NY Cares Winter Wishes. Next month we'll do Toys for Tots and John Theissen's Children's Foundation

I really like doing this because it gets a dialogue going and they both are starting to understand the world outside our lives. Like we talk a lot about how we support the soldiers who are working far away from their families and miss being home. This month we've been talking a lot about how lucky we are and how there are kids who don't have as many toys, clothes, etc.

HTH!

Message edited 11/6/2009 3:38:31 PM.

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

Posted by CathyB

I agree, I used to volunteer all the time when I was in elementary school and older, but I think they are a little young yet.

We pick several organizations to donate physical goods to and they help me shop for the items, pack them up and bring them to the post office. We do at least one box a month.

Most of the time we pick a military unit and send some of the items they are requesting. We go through Anysoldier.com to get the requests. Sarah's class (4 year old pre-k) got involved last month and all the kids made cards that we sent to an Air Force unit in Afghanistan. We obviously don't send everything they are asking for, but every little bit helps.

This month we are doing NY Cares Winter Wishes. Next month we'll do Toys for Tots and John Theissen's Children's Foundation

I really like doing this because it gets a dialogue going and they both are starting to understand the world outside our lives. Like we talk a lot about how we support the soldiers who are working far away from their families and miss being home. This month we've been talking a lot about how lucky we are and how there are kids who don't have as many toys, clothes, etc.

HTH!

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

Yes, great info...thanks for sharing! I even added it my "handy dandy" notebook....

(haha....I watch too many cartoons these days)

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

We have a center in our town that runs on parent volunteers for the most part, and I do volunteer work for them with DS in tow. But it probably doesn't seem like work to him since a lot of it is showing up at community events, conducting Mommy & Me classes, etc.

I would like to do more with our church soon, maybe help out at their holiday fair, stuff like that. That might be a good place to start with young children if you are religious. I know it's probably different than what you envision, but it is volunteering to make some part of your community a better place.

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

My DD#1 is young, but she likes to put things in bags (and take them out - LOL), so I started going through my DD#2's stuff that we are going to donate and even though she may have no idea what I'm saying I tell her "we're going to give you and your sister's baby clothes to another baby who really needs them. She "helps" me bag them for "the babies". It's not much, but she's 18 months old, hopefully as she grows we can think of other things. Trying to teach her kindness to animals too.

Re: Toddlers/preschoolers and volunteer work?

What about visiting animal shelters and playing with the dogs for a little while (supervised of course!!)? I just read a story about this in the ASPCA newsletter...