When we talk about charity, giving to those in need, it would be remiss if we didn’t also mention that when you are a part of serving others, science has shown that not only are we happier, but we live longer too. Psychology Today reported – “People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44 percent lower likelihood of dying—and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status, and many more.”
They went on to report the following about kids:
“This may be especially true for kids. Adolescents who identify their primary motive as helping others are three times happier than those who lack such altruistic motivation. Similarly, teens who are giving are also happier and more active, involved, excited, and engaged than their less engaged counterparts. Generous behavior reduces adolescent depression and suicide risk, and several studies have shown that teenagers who volunteer are less likely to fail a subject in school, get pregnant, or abuse substances. Teens who volunteer also tend to be more socially competent and have higher self-esteem.”
Getting our children and students involved in giving to others, finding causes that they care about and learning the joy that comes from serving others will lessen some if not many of the issues that young people face in our world today.
How are you doing as a parent in setting the example of giving our treasures, talents and time to those things that are important to us? How are you helping your young ones to grow their idealism and purposefulness for service? Having service and charity as a part of your family vision will be beneficial to all concerned.