Back to School and Parent Involvement

Okay, so summer vacation is essentially over. We have two days until the first day of school. Where did the summer go? Did I sleep through the entire summer? Why does it feel like we just finished the last day of school yesterday? Each summer that goes by seems to pass faster and faster. So I'm wondering if I will have any summer at all by the time I'm 50 years old.

At the beginning of the summer, I had these grand plans of not doing anything but lazing around the house and watching movies with my girls. We could hang out at the pool. We could play Nancy Drew games on the computer (all three of us love to play Nancy Drew even though Bailey isn't technically old enough yet - she'll just sit and watch). We were going to catch up on our scrapbooks. You get the picture. And you can probably guess what I'm going to say next. We did watch some movies but not as many as I would have liked since I'm an avid movie watcher. I didn't play one Nancy Drew game although I did get more familiar with Facebook (sigh). We played a couple of board games. We went to the pool more in Maryland when we visited Richard's family than we have here, with the exception of swim practice for Morgan. I did pull out my scrapbook supplies last week but didn't scrapbook. We used them to make posters for PTO.

That's right, I joined the PTO board this year. I must have had a lapse in judgement and rational thinking the day that I said I would do this. What was I thinking? I've been sucked into the black hole with no hope of ever returning to a normal life. I wonder sometimes if that's what Richard is thinking. Will he ever see me again? Will there be time for the two of us to spend together without the girls, PTO, or something else getting in the way?

All joking aside, joining the PTO is not a black hole of volunteer work and commitment. I will see daylight and I will spend time with my family - yes, my husband too. And I will not regret a minute of the time that I spend helping to make my daughter's school a better environment for her to learn in! Contrary to some beliefs, the people who make up PTO's and PTA's across this country are not all cliquish. We all don't have our own agendas. Some of us really do want to help make the school that our children attend a better place. We want to create an environment that is conducive to learning. In order to achieve this goal, we want to make our school a safe and enjoyable place which inspires our teachers and students to be their best! And what's best for my child is what's best for all of the children. We want to foster a team and community spirit in which the children learn about working together and helping each other. We want the children to learn to be respectful and responsible. Building their character in a positive way is quite possibly the most important aspect of a school's environment. Once this is achieved, then the academics will be learned without a doubt.

Parent Involvement is so important in a child's life. Studies have shown that children perform better on tests and their self-confidence is improved when parents are involved in their children's lives. You don't have to sacrifice your entire life to become involved in your children's schools. And if you're a working parent, there are little things that don't require a huge time commitment that you can do. Volunteering in your child's school doesn't have to be the "black hole" of time commitment. There is a job for everyone - big and small ones. Please do your kids a favor and get involved. Join the PTO/PTA or the booster club and help to make a difference in your school community!