Local Voices: True Confessions - I Love Kids, but I'm Not Very Good With Them

I love kids but I'm not very good with them, at least not with a lot of them at one time.  This poses a dilemma for someone like me devoted to the Developmental Assets especially September's Asset of the Month: Parent Involvement in Schooling.  We know intuitively and through research that kids whose parents are actively involved in their schooling are more engaged in school.  For some parents that means time in the classroom on the floor playing with kids, reading to hoards of them as they crawl all over them, cooking with middle schoolers, or creating science experiments out of recycled items.  I'm not one of those parents.  I love kids in doses of a half dozen or fewer.  I'm even sort of funny and engaging until there's too many of them.  So, alas, how can I demonstrate my "involvement" if I'm not actually mixing it up with dozens of kids a time?

I'm happy to report that volunteering in the classroom is only one of many ways to inspire the love of learning in kids.  I demonstrate to my kids how important learning is to our family by fostering a home environment conducive to learning with a space devoted to their study.  We talk about their school-related decisions  and about the "good, bad and funny" of each school day.  I have part-time flexible work that allows me to volunteer with PTA, PiE and Project Safety Net.  I remind my kids that I volunteer in those ways instead of in the classroom since, as they know, I'm much better if I utilize that skill set and not the skill set that requires cooking with middle schoolers.

It only takes a second to inspire the love of learning.  Volunteer on campus if you can.  Show kids you care about their schooling by ensuring a home environment that supports it.  Keep the lines of communication open with your kids' teachers and staff, and make sure your kids know there's a free flow of information between school and home.  Role model your commitment to kids and learning by volunteering in ways that fit your style and support our kids.

However you do it, do it.  It only takes a second.

For more ideas see Project Cornerstone's resource kit www.projectcornerstone.org/pdfs/September_ParentInvolvementInSchool_ResourceKit.pdf