We want our grandkids to place a high value on helping other people, which is what caring is all about. When we teach kids to care, not only do they learn how to care about themselves, but they also learn how to care for others and make the world a better place.
- One way to teach your grandchildren how to care is by having a pet or interacting with a friend’s pet. For young children, learning to be gentle and caring are important values. Older kids can learn how to play with a pet and recognize the cues of “come closer” or “give me some space.”
- Whenever your grandchild notices that someone is upset and wants to help, encourage him to act on that impulse. Afterward, talk about how proud you are of your child for caring.
- Find a meaningful way for your family to volunteer to help others. For example, serve soup at a food shelf. Deliver a meal to an elderly acquaintance who lives alone. Visit people in the hospital or a nursing home. (Learn more in our Serving Others section.)
- When you see news stories about natural disasters or tragedies, get your family together and ask what you can do to help. Maybe you can purchase water and deliver it to a drop-off collection center. Or you could assist a local organization in a relief effort.
By expressing concern for others in various ways, you can set a positive example for your child and let her or him know that caring for others is important. Raising caring grandkids is something that requires a caring lifestyle; start thinking about how you act today and see if you can make any changes to be more caring.
Submitted for publication by Edie Hardage from Parent Further – A search institute for families
Edie is a marketing distributor for Send Out Cards – The perfect way to show someone you care.