Whereas teens always look forward to summer – the season in which school’s out – the parents typically voice out the same sentiments. “Will you plant your butt on that couch for two months again?” “Why don’t you do some advanced reading so that you are not completely blank when school re-opens?” “Is there anything you can do that does not involve being glued to your gadgets?”
The teenagers, on the other hand, complain about their mom and dad telling them nonstop to “hone their skills” or “do something worthwhile” with their time. In these kids’ minds, they are in vacation mode; that’s why they should only be doing fun stuff.
Considering you are a parent who wants to put his or her foot down to finally teach the teens a lesson, you should learn about the different kinds of community service you can make them do without stress during summertime.
- Offer Help At The Animal Shelter
Among the locations in town that require an extra pair of hands is the animal shelter. Dogs and cats that got abandoned or maltreated inside or outside of the community go there. Often, however, the number of staff they have are disproportional to the number of animals under their care. Hence, having pet-loving teens come in daily to help feed the creatures or clean up after them is more than what anyone can ask for. Megan Walsh, LCPC says, “The key to this human-animal union is the same powerful neurochemical that bonds mother and child — oxytocin.”
- Join A Donation Drive
Teenagers who are great at entertaining people may be a perfect addition to a donation drive. Most charitable events, after all, do not merely include asking for money or clothes from others. The organizations holding the occasion usually set up a fun program with singing or dancing to entice the individuals to share their blessings to the less fortunate. While your teen kids may not be the ones giving their savings to charity, what they do is enough to be of service too.
- Go To A Kids’ Camp
If your teenage son or daughter has innate leadership skills, and he or she does not mind being around younger folks, there may be a summer camp in your community that is looking for one more leader. Your teen can participate there and help kids accomplish different tasks every day. Though there may not be monetary compensation from it – primarily if the children signed up for free as well – the experience may offer the youth a vision of what path they want to take after high school. “Socializing is incredibly important to teens. It’s part of their developmental process. As anyone that has a teen or worked with teens knows, friendships are crucial.” Susie Raskin MA, LMHC emphasizes.
- Tutor Young Children
Teens who love to study more than anything on this planet may like to do volunteer work that involves using their intellect. Because of that, you may inquire at the library or educational institution if they hold a tutoring program for small children, as well as if your teenager can be one of the tutors. That can not only give your teens a valid reason to go out, but they can also help the youngsters to prepare for school.
- Volunteer At The Local Park
Considering those teenagers of yours love nature – but there are no forests or lakes nearby – you can send them to work at the park. It is typically the season when more people visit that public place; that’s why the leaders of the community need to maintain it well. Whether they can only sweep the leaves or repaint the metal playground there, that can be a great help for the park administrators, for sure.
- Clean Up Your Backyard
Lastly, in case your big children genuinely do not want to go out of the house, you can ask them to tend to your backyard the entire summer. “Clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on.” explains Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D. One can mow the lawn, for instance, while the others plant more flowers or water everything. It is technically advantageous for your neighborhood to have them do this job since it ensures that your property won’t become a breeding ground for snakes, insects, and other stuff that might infest the town.
Final Thoughts
Coaxing teenagers to do community service for the first time may not be stress-free. That is especially true when: 1) they are not used to doing something taxing for hours, and 2) they won’t get money in return. However, once you open their eyes to the benefits that their volunteering will do for other people, it may enable them to like doing it again next summer even without your persuading.
You can also guide them by letting them speak with an expert from BetterHelp so that they could be enlightened. To know more about what the site can provide, you can download the app or check their Instagram.