Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: I Could Have Encouraged My Children's Soapboxes

As adults, we are accustomed to finding a cause to support. We are aware of the needs in our world and choose which ones to help. Had I realized my children could become activists at an early age, I would have encouraged them to get on their own soapboxes.

We would have researched ways that children can volunteer. We would have talked about people in need, organizations that help them, and ways our family could help. By actively involving children at an early age, children grow up knowing they can make a difference.

I would have started by finding causes that interested them. My children enjoyed sports. We could have visited a local Boys and Girls Club and discovered ways to donate equipment and our time. We could have found organizations that accept used sports equipment and organized a collection through our neighborhood and sports teams. Children are encouraged in their benevolent efforts when they lead their peers to help in a particular cause.

We would have talked the basic needs of food and shelter. We could have held a food drive and donated to a local food pantry. We could have talked about those who have no place to eat and volunteered in a soup kitchen. We could have volunteered to help build a house. We could have helped someone improve his or her current living space. We could have talked about people who have no home or food and found ways to help the homeless. Children can begin to appreciate what they have by helping those who need the very same things.

We would have talked about ways to help our world. We almost always had pets at home, so animals were always close to our hearts. But we should have talked about how we could help unwanted animals and found ways to help them. Children can become responsible pet owners by helping those animals with no owners. We would have found ways to help the environment. By starting early, children can become practiced and accustomed to saving energy and waste and ultimately, saving the planet.

We should have talked about the disparity between our lives and those of other people in our community. By helping other children, we encourage connections and relationships between our children and those they might not otherwise encounter. My children’s grandparents were healthy and active so my children were not used to being around older adults. By helping the elderly, we encourage our children to develop tolerance, patience, and respect for those who need and deserve it.

By participating in helping various organizations, my children would begin to choose the ones that felt dearest to their hearts. As they grew, they would increase their involvement as their maturity levels increased.

Our world is sometimes a sad and lonely place and we don’t want our children to grow up in that kind of world. By helping them at a young age to realize their part in changing the world, we insure that their future world the one they deserve.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her “Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda” column each Thursday.