It was a dreary cold morning and all of us were tired from a long week of work and school. When the time came to get out of bed at 7 a.m. and go volunteer our help delivering food to the elderly any previous enthusiasm we had suddenly faded away. We wasted no time in coming up with a lot of reasons not to go like "we're tired", "our beds are warm", "it's cold outside", "we just want to hang with you" and the list continued. So after my morning cry of "No More Excuses!", I pulled them from bed, fed them a warm breakfast, packed them in our new gas filled minivan, and sped off to our destination. I tuned the grumbles from the back seat out and continued to cheerfully cry "No more excuses!", "You'll love this, trust me!", "You'll feel so good when you're done!" all the way to our church.

So the next time your family has the opportunity to volunteer, what will be your excuse? Remember, your kids will thank you for the little things later.
About the Author

Polly Schlafhauser is Founder and President of Families with Purpose, a website dedicated to helping busy families enhance their family life. To subscribe to their newsletter or to learn more about volunteering as a family, visit their website at www.familieswithpurpose.com