Service to others doesn't have to involve strangers or traditional volunteering. In fact, when teaching small children the value of empathy and caring, you'll often get further if you start with familiar people and places.

How can you best support your child's passion for change? Here are some tips for guiding and sustaining your child's selfless impulses.Also see our suggestions for Valentine's Day gifts for all the loved ones on your list.

Our increasingly globalized society can provide your family with important opportunities to interact with diverse people and cultures. This allows children (and adults) to appreciate the complexity and richness of other countries, to develop a sense of their own place in the world, and to realize that their view is only one among many possible views.

What issue does your family care about? Are you passionate about global poverty, empowering girls, environmental sustainability or benefits for veterans? Be an advocate for your cause! Hone in on your passion -- and educate others about the issue -- by exploring creative ways to raise awareness. Here are some ideas to light a firecracker under your campaign!

The best way to raise your kids to become stewards of the environment is to get them to like, even love, nature. And what better time to start than summer? These activities will get you going, but once outdoors you'll come up with dozens more fun, creative ways to appreciate the natural world.

By helping children to name and understand their emotions, you give them tools to cope with their feelings all their lives. In fact, being our child's emotional "tutor" is one of our most important jobs as adults.

It can be easy to get caught up in the business of our everyday lives and forget to take time to be aware in the present. Being mindful helps us to think intentionally, find gratitude for what we have, and be more understanding toward others and ourselves.

Want to add a bit of altruism to your children's summer? Instead of collecting shells and rocks, hold a collection drive for those in need. It could be cereal for a food pantry, cat or dog toys for a humane society, diapers for a crisis nursery, or books for a family homeless shelter.
A donation drive is a fun, easy family activity that can improve lives.