by S D Rios

Created on: February 07, 2010

If you really want to understand your child, one of the best ways is to become an integral part of the place where kids spend most of their day: school! It is clear that volunteers offer an invaluable service to schools, but the experience is just as valuable to the volunteers, who are able to take a closer look at how the school functions, how teachers interact with one another and with students, and how their child fits into the social fabric of the class and school.

Here are ways to use your volunteer service to connect with your child and others.

Volunteer in the classroom. Some school don't encourage parents to volunteer in their own kids' classrooms, particularly when they are very young. Nonetheless, spending time in any grade-level classroom will help you to understand the demands being placed on your child and classmates. You will be more in tune with the current jargon referring to diagnostic testing, placement, and more. Connecting with your child in an educational sense will help you to help them meet the challenges that each grade presents.

If you are allowed to volunteer in your own child's classroom, you will quickly gain insight into your child's strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of their education and socialization. This new perspective will help you to work with them to succeed where they might be struggling. You can observe friends as well and understand how they influence one another in the classroom setting, both for good and for bad.

Do projects for the teachers. By becoming a regular in the copy room, the mail room, and the main office, you will find yourself privy to the inner workings of the school. You will get to know how the hierarchy of teachers and administrators functions and, perhaps, become more aware of your children's teachers' personalities. This will allow you to better relate to your child's relationships with teachers, because you will be able to judge their likes and dislikes at a more personal level. Sometimes what kids say about teachers IS true or sometimes a teacher may be going through a difficult time that the children know nothing about. The personal relationships you develop with the staff at your school will help you to guide your child in developing their own relationships with the adults in the school.

Participate in extracurricular events and activities. What better way to get to know kids than to assist with after-school clubs and activities, to organize the fun events that make school special, and to enjoy chaperoning events and trips. If you really want to know what your children's friends are like, spend more time with them volunteering outside of the classroom as well. Your child will also appreciate seeing you participate as one of the volunteers who make a difference on a daily basis at their school.

Be the one to organize the dances, help with class parties,  plan trips, coordinate clubs - in short, be a visible presence in your child's school. You will connect with your child and with many others on a daily basis and gain their trust and respect in a very special and vital way.

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