{"id":7611,"date":"2013-01-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/the-value-of-volunteering\/"},"modified":"2013-01-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-04T00:00:00","slug":"the-value-of-volunteering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/the-value-of-volunteering\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Volunteering"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes trying to get your child to talk about school seems like an impossible task. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve had conversations like this:<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how was school today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid anything interesting happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where do you go from there?<\/p>\n

Study after study shows that kids who have involved parents do better in life – the parents who value family mealtime and schedule family time into the daily routine. However, sometimes those moments are not enough to learn how things are going at school. Knowing what they are studying, who their friends are, what activities they are doing, what things concern them…all of these are important. But how can you be interested and informed if they won\u2019t talk to you?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019ve got a suggestion. A \u201csecret weapon\u201d if you will. It\u2019s easy, free and doesn\u2019t require your child\u2019s cooperation! Here it is:\u00a0 Volunteering at school!<\/p>\n

By volunteering at your child\u2019s school you\u2019ll be able to:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

See first-hand what food choices your child makes throughout the day.<\/strong> Maybe you notice they spend lunchtime talking and don\u2019t actually eat and then have trouble concentrating in the afternoon. Or perhaps they eat dessert first and then don\u2019t have room for more nutritious foods. Understanding that lunch doesn\u2019t have to be a standard sandwich and chips and knowing your child\u2019s lunch habits will allow you to cater their brown bag to their tastes. Set 20 minutes aside each night and make lunch together, taking an extra step out of the morning routine.<\/p>\n

Put faces with names of your kid\u2019s friends and classmates.<\/strong> You’ll also learn a little bit about what they\u2019re like and how they interact together outside of the home by inviting them to enjoy a family meal or join a family game night. Let your child know there is always an open seat at the dinner table for friends.<\/p>\n

Encourage your child to participate in physical activities.<\/strong> Because you\u2019ve been there and seen how things work, you can help your child role play some activity choices with situations from the classroom. For example, if you notice your child spends time sitting and chatting with friends at recess, ask them what activities they would be interested in (i.e. playing tag or climbing on the jungle gym). Or if you notice they have a lot of fun on the monkey bars, make weekend plans to go to the playground by your house. Need some guidance? The Together Counts Enrichment Zone<\/a> is a one stop shop for resources to get kids of all ages up and moving!<\/p>\n

Know your child\u2019s teachers better, which leads to better parent\/teacher communication.<\/strong> When a teacher knows you they are much more likely to give you a call or shoot you an email to update you on any worrisome situations with your child\u2014especially if you take the opportunity to let them know you\u2019re interested in that communication line.<\/p>\n

No matter how much your kids might roll their eyes or object\u2014 taking the time to volunteer at school is another way you can show them that you care about them and their education and value the time spent together with them.<\/p>\n

Of course, volunteering on a regular basis is easiest for folks who work from home\u2014it\u2019s hard to tell a boss, \u201cI\u2019m going to take two hours off every Wednesday to volunteer at my kid\u2019s school.\u201d However, there are plenty of opportunities for busy working parents. Just call or send a note to your child\u2019s teacher saying you would love to help out on a field trip (take a vacation day from work) or one of the many evening activities that seem to pop-up throughout the school year.<\/p>\n

Although I don\u2019t get over to the school to volunteer as often as I would like, I\u2019ve been a parent volunteer in the reading room, I\u2019ve helped out with special situations for holidays and this year I\u2019m on the \u201cfield trip chaperone\u201d list.<\/p>\n

What ways can you get involved at your child\u2019s school?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jenn Fowler is a blogger, speaker, social media consultant and ex-Army Officer. She lives in a quaint village in Upstate New York with her husband Yankee Bill and their two wild and creative children\u2014Princess (11) and Buddy (9). When she isn\u2019t blogging about living a good life on a budget at <\/em>Frugal Upstate<\/em><\/a>, she is gardening, reading, acting, crafting, cooking and knitting\u2014although not necessarily in that order.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes trying to get your child to talk about school seems like an impossible task. 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