Find time to give back to the community, even in little ways. Helping out at your kids' school keeps you in touch with their lives and your neighborhood. Getting involved with local amateur sports organizations is another fun way to "give back."
Where we live, forty hours of volunteer work is a requirement for high school graduation. Our children have packed boxes for the food bank and Christmas gift boxes for the poor. Our son helped an elderly couple in the neighborhood with grass cutting, snow removal, yard work and home maintenance.
In college, they volunteered to teach disadvantaged children to skate, helped out at a local boys and girls' club, and raised money for charities.
When my children were small, I joined their elementary school's Parent Council. One of the other members, who ran a small daycare in her nearby townhouse, served as President of the Council. She sat on a committee with the school Trustee. Eventually, she decided to run, successfully, for the position of School Trustee herself.
From there, she became co-Chair of the school board, then went on to run for City Council. She became Chair of the City Works committee (handling the huge problem of what to do with the city's garbage) and now chairs the Budget Committee for the entire city. Not bad for someone who got a start volunteering at the local school.
One of the fathers on the Parent Council had lost his job and was unable to find a new job in his field. He decided to stay at home with his kids during the day and take a computer course at night. It took him a year, but his course and the contacts he made through the school eventually led to paid work in a new career he loved.
Volunteering, joining community groups, and taking classes to upgrade your skills are never a waste of time.
If you or your children volunteer, keep a record of where and when you worked, your duties, who you worked for, and get to know the organizers so if you ever need a letter of recommendation, you'll know who to contact.
Students who have little paid work experience can still build a solid resume based on the work they do out of the goodness of their hearts.
