15 reasons why you should serve as a family TODAY!

We all know that by serving others with our children is beneficial, but do we realize just exactly how beneficial it really can be?  

Before you start reading, I want you to think for a second... what's one thing you want for your kids?  (I'll wait...)

Got it?  Okay!  

I bet it will be covered at some point in this blog post.  

Permission granted to continue reading...

1. Strengthen Relationships and Create New Friendships

When we serve with our children, we are not only strengthening our relationships with them, but we are blessing them with the opportunity to strengthen their relationships and create new friendships.  We are also teaching them ways that they can do this on their own as they get older.  You are also strengthening your relationship with your family.  You might be surprised at how much better you all get along after working together to serve someone else!  

2. Hard Work Pays Off

By serving with our children, we are not only teaching them, but we are showing them the value of hard work.  We are letting them know that hard work is... well, hard, but that it will pay off.  Sometimes it seems like this world lacks people that know the value of hard work, but I can't think of a better way to encourage it, than by serving others by acts of kindness!  

3. Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment

Have you ever felt unfulfilled?  Have you ever wondered how to add purpose to your life?  By serving others, you can give the gift of that knowledge to your kids.  What a blessing to know your purpose and how to live a fulfilling life at such an early age!  

4. Building Identity

My number one tip to making service fun for your kids is to let them plan... this includes letting them decide who they would like to help.  If they pick areas they enjoy already, then they will enjoy serving others!  By letting your child pick, you are encouraging your child to build their identity.  

5. Being Present

By serving together, we are helping them to realize that we need to be present in life.  By this, I mean, we can't be focusing on something else (our cell phones, our problems, etc.) while serving others.  The same is in life; we are happier and more helpful when we are focusing on others.  By doing this, it can also help them to appreciate the small and special moments in life more.  

6. Happiness

The number one thing I get back when I serve others is happiness.  It's a happiness that can't come from anything else.  I want to let my children feel that.  I want to feel it with them!  Many people nowadays don't know how to find happiness in life.  By serving with our children, it helps them to feel and recognize this happiness and they will be able to find it again whenever they need to.  

7. Empowerment

By giving your child the experience of even the smallest acts of kindness, you are empowering them!  You are letting them know that they can make a difference in the world.  Something so many people lack faith in!  

8. Kindness
We all know that by serving with our kids, it helps them to understand how to be kind, but did you ever stop to think that if they understand kindness, then they will be less likely to be a bully?  They will also have the tools to stop bullying.  Or, we can think about it this way, if they serve often, they will be more likely to understand that the worth of every soul is great.  Every person has worth & deserves to be treated with love and respect.  

9. It will make a difference in the recipient's life!
I know, this is a given, but to see it in action, is a beautiful thing!  

10. It will give your child courage.  
When serving others, you are placed in a situation that might be different than anything else you have ever been in.  You might be out of your comfort zone.  That, my friends, is where learning is at it's best.  Depending on the situation, you will get courage to stand up for what is right, courage to help others, courage to be vulnerable yourself, courage to meet new people, etc.

13. They will see many people and experience new things.
I know this one is a given, too, but it's something that can be invaluable.  By giving your children the opportunity to serve others, no matter how often, they are instantly experiencing new people and new experiences.  It can form relationships that can last a lifetime!  

15. It will teach them (and you) many other values.  
Some of the many are compassion, humility, gratitude and empathy (and many more below).  I know those are things that I work on having every day.  I am imperfect with that, but love that serving others makes it that much easier to gain those values.  

In addition to the reasons above, I've come up with a list of values we can teach our kids as we serve with them... view the info-graphic below.

Even I was surprised as I was compiling this list, there are more benefits than I thought there would be!  Those are 15 invaluable gifts that you receive when you serve with your children as a family.  I don't know about you, but I would love every single one of those things to happen for my family!  So... I guess I'm off to serve!

Join the Virtual Kindness Summer Camp for easy acts of kindness to do together all Summer long!

Join me, by posting the reasons you serve with your kids on your social media.  Just use the hashtag #iservebecause and tag @trustmeimamom.  I will be sure to share as many posts as I can! 

Feel free to use these free printables, just fill in the blank!

Oh, and PS... Serving with your kids is easier than you think!!  Don't believe me?  Sign up for emails below, and I'll send you easy ways you can serve others together each month!