![\"Being-A-Parent-Volunteer_1mb.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/cdn2.hubspot.net\/hubfs\/3295812\/Being-A-Parent-Volunteer_1mb.jpg\")
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Even before my kids were in school, I knew I wanted to be a parent volunteer. There\u2019s just something so awesome about volunteering your time where you\u2019re needed \u2013 especially at a place where your kids spend so much of their time.<\/p>\n
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Now, before we begin, this article isn\u2019t meant to make you feel guilty if you\u2019re not a parent volunteer. That would be ridiculous. As parents, we all have different schedules, multiple children, demanding jobs, and not every parent is able to volunteer their time – even if they really want to. For others, volunteering just isn\u2019t their thing, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n
This article is simply meant to share all the reasons why volunteering at your child\u2019s school is a great experience. It\u2019s meant for parents who might be considering volunteering, or parents who want to volunteer when their children start school. Or grandparents! I volunteer alongside a number of grandparents.<\/p>\n
So, here are 5 reasons why I love being a parent volunteer.<\/p>\n
Helping<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Schools need help from parents, and as I mentioned, not all parents are able to fit volunteering into their schedule. So, since I work from home and have a pretty flexible schedule, I wanted to volunteer my time where I was needed. And schools LOVE parent volunteers! Lots of events, trips and school activities couldn\u2019t happen without the help of volunteers.<\/p>\n Involved<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Our kids spend a good chunk of their life in school. So being able to get involved and be in the school atmosphere is pretty great. Teachers and staff get to know your face, you get the opportunity to meet other parent volunteers and see how the school runs, and you have the opportunity to interact with students too.<\/p>\n Environment<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Seeing your own kids in their school environment is pretty interesting. For the most part, my kids really enjoy that I volunteer at their school. But sometimes, it brings out a different side of them. The \u201cmy Mom is embarrassing, and I don\u2019t want to say hi to her\u201d side. I told my youngest I\u2019m not looking for a giant hug and a big wet kiss in the front foyer or anything, but a simple \u201cHi\u201d when he sees me would be nice. He\u2019s working on it.<\/p>\n Rewarding<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 It feels good to help out and volunteer when you\u2019re needed. It\u2019s very rewarding. When a little face looks up at you with a toothless grin and says thank you\u2026it just warms your heart and feels really good. It makes you feel like the kids really appreciate what you\u2019re doing too.<\/p>\n Fun!<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 I gotta say, volunteering is a lot of fun. I primarily help with the breakfast program, so I get to prepare and serve things like milk, bagels and fruit to little ones before they head off to a day of learning. It\u2019s fun talking with the kids, it\u2019s fun listening to them sing the national anthem in their classrooms, and it\u2019s fun socializing with the other volunteers. It\u2019s just an all-around fun experience.<\/p>\n If volunteering is something you\u2019re interested in, there are lots of ways to get involved. I volunteer twice a week with the school\u2019s breakfast program and I help here and there throughout the year, but you can start small.<\/p>\n Sign up to help with a photo day. Volunteer to go on your child\u2019s class trip. You can even volunteer outside of the school by cooking a turkey for the annual Christmas dinner. (If your school has one)<\/p>\n Whatever you choose to volunteer with, I guarantee your help will be greatly appreciated. And if you\u2019re really lucky, your kids will acknowledge that they know you with a wave or a hug you when they see you.<\/p>\n But probably not. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Even before my kids were in school, I knew I wanted to be a parent volunteer. There\u2019s just something so awesome about volunteering your time where you\u2019re needed \u2013 especially at a place where your kids spend so much of their time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-mom-moments"},"yoast_head":"\n