Dear Penguin,
We live in a world where everything is available at the click of a button… food, facts, fun. You’re growing up with tools that can open doors, build bridges, and show you lives and stories vastly different from your own.
And yet, it’s easy to stay in our bubble.
Your generation is often more aware, more vocal, more connected than we ever were, but also more overwhelmed. That’s why today I want to talk to you (and all parents reading this) about Volunteering and Visibility, two powerful ways to raise empathetic, grounded humans.
Volunteering – Doing Without Expecting
I know you’re still figuring out what truly excites you. You’ve talked about animal shelters, teaching younger kids, and even starting a recycling drive. All of these are small steps toward something big, giving without expecting.
Volunteering helps you feel useful beyond school grades or hobbies. It’s about showing up, even when no one’s watching, for a cause bigger than yourself.
We once visited that school for visually impaired kids, remember? You were quiet that day not because you didn’t care, but because it gave you a glimpse into something unfamiliar, something real. You asked tough questions that evening, and I loved that. That’s how change begins with curiosity.
For parents, letting kids volunteer doesn’t mean pushing them into activities. It means exposing them to possibilities. Like collecting books for a local library, helping a grandparent with tech, participating in community cleanups, even baking for a cause.
It’s not about building a résumé. It’s about building perspective.
Visibility: Stories That Deserve To Be Seen
Every time we sit together and watch a movie, or read a book with characters from different cultures, classes, genders, or abilities. We’re expanding our lens. And for you, growing up in the era of YouTube, Instagram, and reels, it’s more important than ever to seek out stories that don’t always make it to the top of the feed.
Not everyone has the same privileges.
Some don’t get a seat at the table. Others never get a voice in the room.
So how do we teach you to look beyond algorithm-curated content?
By intentionally curating your world with stories that challenge, inspire, and even make you uncomfortable. Stories of refugees, tribal communities, transgender teens, women scientists, farmers, cleaners, indigenous artists… voices that don’t always trend, but matter deeply.
Let’s read books with diverse protagonists.
Let’s follow creators who speak truth to power.
Let’s watch films in different languages.
Let’s ask questions and listen to the answers.
And parents, let’s not wait till high school to bring inclusion into our homes.
Let’s normalize talking about poverty, caste, religion, queerness, gender roles, racism, disabilities, not just when it’s a trending topic, but as part of daily conversations.
Because if our kids see and understand a wider world, they’ll grow up to build a better one.
Together, They Build Compassion
Volunteering teaches kids to act. Visibility teaches them to understand. Together, they create humans who don’t just scroll past a sad video or hit like on an awareness post but people who pause, care, act, and advocate.
Dear Penguin, I don’t expect you to carry the weight of the world.
But I do hope you grow up with your eyes wide open and your heart even wider.
Let’s find a cause. Let’s read a new story. Let’s be a little more human.
With love,
Maa
I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z
