Community Spirit in Kids: Ways to Get Children Involved in the Community Early in Life to Help Develop Caring & Empathy by KLA Schools of Naperville

Babies are born selfish. They have to be. Everything in their new life is about them – they don’t worry about how their cries worry mom or dad or how little sleep they get. It’s a survival instinct, and as babies become toddlers and then small children, they need to be taught the value of empathy and caring about their community.

Parents play an important role in helping children take a vested interest in the world around them. And by encouraging them to become actively involved in "community" work, it will make them better stewards of their world as they get older. There are plenty of ways to help children become more involved in their community.

An easy way to start is by helping a neighbor. Here are some ideas:

• Cleaning leaves.

• Assisting them with basic yard work such as picking up sticks.

• Helping an aging couple bring groceries in.

• Collecting the mail.

• Wheeling the garbage can to the end of the driveway. 

These are simple ways kids can make a difference. They could also volunteer some time with local cleanups in town, including parks and ball fields. It all begins with one step, one action. Here are some other ways kids can get involved in their communities.