Cheer Up The Lonely As A Family

One of the most important treasures your child finds isn’t in a classroom. They won’t find it in a book, or hear it from the television. That treasure is sympathy and caring for others, and the best place they will learn it is at home. Cheer Up the Lonely Day (July 11th) is a wonderful time to show your kids what it means to be a kind. There’s no shortage of opportunity, either. Lonely people aren’t hard to get in contact with. Three of the easiest groups cheer up are soldiers, nursing home residents, and prisoners. Take a step, and show your children what it means to care.

Letters From Home: Soldier PenPals

Children don’t know about politics, but they probably know what it means to be lonely. As of May 2017, there are two hundred thousand soldiers overseas. Each of these men and women are far from their families on every holiday and weekend. Organizations like Soldier’s Angels and Adopt a Soldier connect willing writers to soldiers. Working with your children can help them learn about the world outside of their neighborhood. Encourage your children to write letters and draw pictures. Never under estimate the joy in the smile of a small child.

Nursing Homes: Share Stories with someone’s Grandpa and Grandma

Visiting nursing homes, or elderly care facilities is a wonderful place to cheer up a lonely person. Growing up, my mom and I would visit a local nursing home and gather the residents for a church service. I would get to hear stories from people who had lived longer lives than I have. It was a wonderful experience, and taught me to love stories. My mom showed me how to care for people I didn’t know. Going to a nursing home is a safe environment for everyone involved. If you don’t feel comfortable going one on one, grab a group and put on a show. Even if it isn’t Christmas, the elderly among us love to see children performing. These memories will stay with your kids for their entire lives, shaping how they see the world forever.

Do not remain Silent: Prison Pen Pals

This might not be ideal for little ones, but it would be perfect for middle or high schoolers. Prisons are full of forgotten lonely souls. Some are violent, some are not. This is a very delicate situation, but can be very fruitful. Of course, these types of letters should be sent through an organization. They also must be monitored extremely carefully. Prisoners are in a rough spot, often because of choices they’ve made. Because of this, they are some of the loneliest people in the world. If you want to reach out to a person no one else will, there is a prisoner waiting to write back.

Feeding the hungry: Meeting the Homeless

Countless organizations are set up to care for the homeless. Many of these organizations encourage families to come together and help out. Serving the lonely in this way shows your children how to be generous. It also builds bonds between your family, and your community. Children will play as equals with other children. These aren’t cyber games, but good old fashioned fun.

If you’re looking for ways to cheer up the lonely, you won’t have to look far. Spending time with your children is fantastic. Spending time with your children, showing them how to help the lonely is even better. The memories you make on Cheer up the Lonely Day will stay in the minds of your children for the rest of their lives.

Justin Spix, Guest Writer

Justin Spix is an ESL teacher, amateur woodworker, and blog writer. He’s been teaching for almost a decade, but he’s just starting his blog.

If you want to learn more, check it out here.

He can be reached regarding his writing services via his Simbi profile.