I love children and I want to volunteer with them. However, I'm only 14. Help?

Question

I'm 14 and I absolutely adore children of all ages. However, I don't know how to volunteer, because whenever I look up volunteer services, it says you have to be eighteen or older. I can't babysit, since there are girls who are older than me in my neighborhood who everybody hires because they think they're "more mature" Because they're 15 or 16. (The truth is that they're insanely immature for their ages. Trust me, all they really do is vandalize the local playground. I've seen it several times.) Anybody care to help me? I feel like my maternal instincts (which I've had for most of my life) are going out of control! Please help me before my hormones go crazy!

(Btw, I live in Seminole County, Florida)

Answer 1

Hi ... i love children too

i volunteer at a local elementary school

maybe you can volunter at a school near you

Answer 2

There's got to be a stay-at-home mom who could use a break in your neighborhood. Go over, explain your need to do something with kids and see if she'll let you have one of hers or a play group to try your stuff on.

That way, when you go to babysit or even to be accepted as a "real" volunteer, you'll have a reference.

Answer 3

It would help if you could join a volunteer organization for people your age.  My Girl Scout troop worked with the younger Girl Scouts a lot when they were your age, plus they received training for working with children and took a babysitting course. That's how several of them got started babysitting.  

There's also Camp Fire Girls, American Heritage Girls, or Awanna (through the Salvation Army, I think).

Do you belong to a church?  Maybe they have a nursery or pre-school you could help out with or church school.  

Any more, organizations want volunteers who are 18 or older because back ground checks are required.  It worked the best for my daughter to be a Girl Scout or to volunteer with either her dad or me because we had back ground checks done on us and then were able to sign hers.

Answer 4

camp