About Nadine Silverthorne
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Three Cheers for Family Volunteers
silver spoons canada
(Aug.16.10)
At Sweetspot.ca, Inc. we believe that charity is always sweet. We've been trying to find ways to talk about volunteering as a family and so this inspiring guest post by Naveen Ahmad was the perfect story to share...
Growing up, my parents always told me how important it is to count my blessings and to always be thankful. At that moment, being very young, I didn’t realize how valuable this lesson was.
Now that I have two kids of my own, 7 and 11 year-old daughters, I’ve come to understand the importance of teaching children at a very early age to appreciate the things they usually consider their right rather than privileges.
As my children grew, I was looking for ways to show them this, not just in words but in a more practical manner. Along the way I figured that volunteering would be the path to follow. It not only helps them learn how things we take for granted in our daily lives are very precious to others, but also gives me the satisfaction of giving back to the community.
Though I realized the advantages of volunteering as a family, I needed to find a platform where I could take the kids for this purpose without losing their interest.
A friend of mine introduced us to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Since we go to the Toronto Zoo at least twice a year, she suggested that we volunteer for the Great Strides™ walk, which is held there yearly. It turned out to be the perfect organization.
Now, we as a family are involved with the CCFF and we love every single bit of it. It's very kid-friendly, and we are also involved with marketing events for the walk. My girls are always looking forward to the next opportunity.
To us it’s not only about the quality time spent together as a family, but it also teaches the kids a lot of skills that will be useful in life, such as interacting with people other than family. Plus, the gratifying feeling of trying to give back and helping others is just the cherry on top of the cake. It is a win-win situation any way you look at it.
If you have young kids, I highly recommend getting them involved in volunteering as early as you can. I read somewhere that kids who volunteer alongside their family turn into adults who volunteer with their family.
It serves the purpose of teaching kids the significance of helping out others, making a difference and keeping them involved. Best of all is the gratification you feel when you see your child working hard without being promised a reward.
Try it; you’ll be amazed at how much your kids learn and how much you will love it as a family activity.
Naveen Ahmad and her husband made Canada their home nine years ago when they emigrated from Pakistan. Her two daughters are her pride and joy and raising them has been the most important job she has ever held.
