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Classroom Helping Hands
by Cheryl Gochnauer
One benefit of being a stay-at-home mom is having the flexibility to become
more involved in our children's classrooms. But like any other endeavor,
it's important to scope out the situation and see where we can be most
effective.
I remember thinking that, in order to be a good homeroom parent, I needed to
be able to bake elaborate cut-out cookies and fashion presentation-quality
table decorations from doilies, glue and glitter. Since I hate to bake and
have no artsy-crafty skills whatsoever, I began to dread the periodic calls
for volunteers.
That is, until I learned a fundamental rule of parent participation:
There's only one teacher, and 20-plus sets of parents. The teacher doesn't
have time to discover our hidden talents. It's up to us to let the teacher
know where we'd best fit in.
I'm a communicator, so instead of me bringing in some burnt-around-the-edges
cookies or some donuts I bought at the grocery store, I should volunteer as
a story-teller. Or a whip-'em-into-a-frenzy game coordinator.
However, I know a mom who can put together four loaves of the best banana
bread you ever tasted in no time, and present it with a garnish. She loves
to cook - and she should let the teacher know it. There's the cookie lady!
Then there's the woman who used to work at Hallmark, who can do amazing
things with construction paper, scissors and a glue stick. She's a perfect
candidate for the bulletin board or party decoration committee.
Find your niche, then jump right in. Your child and their teacher will love
you for it. And be sure to volunteer for the daytime openings first, giving
working moms a chance to help out with evening activities.
If a call for volunteers comes at a bad time, be gentle yet straightforward - you
won't be able to help out this time. But keep a copy of the upcoming events
schedule handy so you can say something like, "Christmas is really busy for
me. But go ahead and put me down for the Valentine's party."
There are lots of ways a parent can participate in their child's classroom
activities. Explore the various opportunities available to you.
Volunteering is fun, once you find where you fit.
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