| Last week I volunteered to chaperon Gabby's class (Princeton Elementary) to Sea World and I genuinely had a great time. This is one of the greatest benefits of owning your own company,SeekingSitters.com (shameless plug) I carried my cell phone with me just in case someone needed a sitter or someone called in sick (not that I could sub, but I could find someone to fill in if needed), but it was time well spent. My daughter was so excited to have me riding on the bus, walking to the gate, showing me off to her friends. She made me feel like I was her superstar.
At the very start (9:15), I was (and I'm not kidding) SURROUNDED in the back of the bus by at least 20 children. There was room for 9. "Hey, everybody, my mom's here!!!!" I never knew she felt that way about me. So as time goes by, I realized I had turned into Roger Dangerfield... loosening my shirt at the neck line, bla bla bla.... "Mom, do the thing where you tuck your lip so it looks like you have no lip!!!" What???? I can't do that on command! It's strictly for shock value. I almost felt pressured as if I was going up on stage. Plus... there were other, more mature parents around. (alright, I did it anyway). I ROCK! The point is, there are multiple benefits to volunteering at your children’s school, but here are some to get you thinking about it for next year: 1. It shows your kids and their teachers that you care about being involved. 2. It gives you insight into the the environment your kids are in every day. 3. You get face time with people that make important decisions about your child's education. ( Should your child be in the gifted program? Should your child work with a tutor to develop a particular skill?) 4. Allows you to network with other parents, which is a great way of learning about problems in the school, resources you might not know about (carpooling, among other things). 5. It gives you the opportunity to personally thank your child's teachers and other school personnel for their hard work. Plus, it takes the pressure off of them a bit. Could you imagine if no one volunteered and 5 teachers had to escort 100 children around a theme park? I would simply lie in the fetal position; anywhere...shaded. 6. If you approach the experience with patience and a sense of humor, you will have a blast. (Liptuck) 7. If you're lucky, you might get to pet a Stingray or two (or forty). That was MY favorite part. They're so soft and smooth and sweet... I want one! "Daddy, I want an Umpa... " I mean, "Daddy, I want a Stingray, NOW!" (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Reference). 8. It allows you to see the true dynamics between your child and the others that she/he talks to you about on the car ride home. 9. If one of the children in her class is mean to him/her, you can make them fall in love with you...thus, fall in love with your child. (or, when no one is looking, you can.... jk) Get it?! | 
