I can’t tell you the number of times my kids said, “Mom, I’m bored.” Most of the time, it was during the summer. After the first few days of summer excitement wears off, the boredom begins to set in. And this is the perfect time to encourage your teen to volunteer.

There are several reasons why volunteering is beneficial to your teens:

1. It’s the right thing to do. It teaches them to give of themselves.
2. It can help them determine their interests (volunteering at a children’s hospital, at an art or science museum, at a library, at a sports camp, at Habitat for Humanity–all of which might spur their interest in future careers)
3. Colleges like to see well-rounded applicants. Volunteering will show them that you a)made valuable use of your time b)that you are a person who is concerned with others.
4. It teaches them that work can be fulfilling and gives them a head start on having a positive work ethic.
5. They won’t sit around the house all summer complaining about being bored.

Volunteering is one of those “life lessons” that teaches your teen moral responsibility. The plus is that while they are learning the life lesson, they are improving their chances of college acceptance. For me, it’s a win-win proposition.

If you have any volunteer suggestions or work for a charity or a business that utilizes volunteers, we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment here for my readers!