All in the Family

Gone are the days when the American family looked like that on â??Leave It To Beaverâ??, the old television sitcom. Todayâ??s family has many faces and many configurations. If your family resembles the traditional Mom, Dad and kids, thatâ??s wonderful. But if your family does not, that is wonderful too! Many single parents find family volunteering is a great way to be involved in the community without having to worry about spending further precious time away from their children. In fact, noncustodial fathers have found that volunteering with their children provides a meaningful and fun activity on visitation days outside of the usual fast food outings and movies. Grandparents enjoy having fun while doing something constructive with their grandchildren. And, mentoring relationships such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters can use this opportunity to engage in positive, engaging activities with their Little Brother or Sister.
Todayâ??s family structure may look different than those in the past, but that doesnâ??t mean that the youth-adult partnership is any less significant. In reality, it is needed even more today than in the past. The Search Institute has commented, â?? In our age-segregated society, it is increasingly uncommon for our kids to have meaningful adult contact and exposure. The majority of kids have no sustained relationship with an adult other than a parent.â??
We live in the most age segregated society in history. The significant development in family volunteering is its intergenerational nature. Traditionally, individual adults have done the majority of volunteer work. Women who worked to sustain the household spent many of these volunteer hours during the daytime. Today, not only are more men and women part of the full-time workforce, but senior citizens are living longer and more productive lives than ever before. Parents do not want to spend more of their time away from their children. Family volunteering is a way of including your children in activities that you love, while giving them a significant educational experience. Senior citizens who today are still so active will be able to spend time with grandchildren or youngsters whom they mentor in meaningful ways that benefit themselves and the community.
The bottom line is, today families come in many shapes and sizes and configurations. You need not be a blood relative, or even a parent to enjoy the benefits of what is termed family volunteerism. The family is that structure of individuals with whom you have a significant relationship and bond.