Five Tips for Turning Summer Break Into a Summer Service

A few days ago, The Washington Post‘s On Parenting lifestyle blog posted some ideas for parents with children who are home from school for the summer. They suggested that volunteering is a great way to engage teens who are out of school for the summer and older children who are home from college.
Volunteering is a great way to spend a summer – and teens and young adults may find more than a way to spend some time before school starts up again. They may find something that they never knew they cared about, and their summer at home could start them on the road to a lifetime of service.
Here are some tips to make sure that you and your children can have a great summer of service:
Let them choose their own form of service. Volunteering doesn’t have to be an eight-hour day. It doesn’t have to be in an office. It doesn’t even have to be outside of your home. There are so many different opportunities to volunteer that there’s bound to be something that will grab your students’ interest. You can find opportunities at one of our HandsOn Action Centers, micro-volunteering opportunities at sparked, or a service project that you design yourself with some help from a Get HandsOn playbook.

Support their choice. You might be hoping that your child finds a volunteer opportunity that keeps them occupied for the whole summer. It might not happen – they might find an opportunity that only lasts for a week or two or is only on weekends. Don’t tell them that their choice isn’t “good enough.” Let them know that you’re proud of them for volunteering their time, and support them in their service.

Lead by example. What’s the best way to get someone to volunteer? Bring them along with you when you volunteer! If you’re volunteering over the summer, bring your child with you and take the opportunity to show them why you think service is important to you and to the organization you serve with. Set up some time with other volunteers so they can talk about why service is important to them, too, and your child can get different perspectives on the importance of service.

Serve together. Bringing your child along to the projects where you’re serving isn’t the only option. Once your child finds an opportunity to serve, ask them if you can help them serve. You might find out something about your son or daughter that you never knew, especially if they’ve been away at school for a year. Serving together can build a stronger relationship with your son or daughter.

Have fun. This is the most important tip. If you don’t have fun, what’s going to keep you or your son or daughter coming back? Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter the size. Make a special meal after your service or stop by the ice cream shop on your way home. You’ve both done something great, and you’re allowed to celebrate it!
What are your tips for having a summer of service? Let us know in the comments!
Read the On Parenting blog post from the Washington Post here, and let us know what you think.