Serving with small children

"If only for a half hour a day, a child should do something serviceable to the community."

George Bernard Shaw

When I first read about the Summer of Service, I was so excited to do it with my daughter. But I worried - is she too young? Will I turn into a Tiger Mother and push her too much?

Now that we have started, I am actually ashamed that I have not served alongside my children more. We are only on week one, but Lily gets SO EXCITED to serve. Tonight we helped make dinner for a mother in our neighborhood who had just had surgery. Her daughter is Lily's age.

In the past, I have mostly cooked and delivered the meals on my own. Occasionally my children help me measure and mix, but for the most part it is a one woman show. Tonight my daughter stood on a chair by me at the kitchen sink and washed every vegetable - perhaps even more thoroughly than I would! I did the cutting, but then she put the salad together and boy oh boy was she proud of it.

What a gift that moment was to work with my daughter. What would I give for a rewind button to go back and recreate all those meals I made by myself! Looking forward to more relationship building moments during our Summer of Service!