Work at Home Success By Jill Hart
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Simplifying Motherhood By Trish Berg
Ask A Twin Mommy By Cheryl Lage
Mothering By Heart By Cheri Fuller
Jelly Mom By Lisa Barker
Family Check-up By Sheila Wray Gregoire
Parent to Parent By Jodie Lynn
Moments for Mom By Elisabeth Corcoran
Making the Most of Marriage By Paula Friedrichsen
Volunteering is Magical!
By Jodie Lynn
www.ParentToParent.com
Volunteering at your children's schools, youth activities, church and anywhere else you see a need, is always a worthwhile endeavor. It can make a huge difference in your community and in the life of your child and your child's teacher/leader. In addition, it may very well lift up your own spirits.
Make time to seek out volunteer opportunities. Here are some guidelines:
Get to know your child's teacher, coach and others, and learn in which areas she/he needs the most help.
Visit the school or attend meetings and practices to determine what the requirements are in order for you to get started in volunteering. In today's society, many organizations are requiring criminal background checks, so be prepared. Look at it as a positive move on the part of those that are now implementing these new guidelines, rather than a hassle – it could prove to be safer for your children and provide a mentally healthier environment for them.
Sign up early. If you would like to have more options in more areas, sign up early. Depending on the ages of the children in the group, they may have different opportunities, especially in early, elementary classrooms. For example, volunteers are needed one to two days a week in many, while others may ask for only one day a month.
Schedule volunteer time around your own schedule. After selecting which area you would like to volunteer but before committing, go over the time, days and location with your personal schedule. If you work from home, make sure this won't interfere with anything you need to do. If none are doable, there are plenty of things you can do right at home. For example, making artwork to hang on the walls for specific projects, plays, study sessions, themes or in music rooms, gyms, the library, etc., would always be highly appreciated. Most volunteers are moms. Many moms now have home-based offices, which allows for a highly flexible schedule. If you are interested in pursuing a work-at-home idea and getting it organized, here is an offer you won't want to pass up. For a limited time, you can get a free copy of I Love My Life, A Mom's Guide to Working from Home, by Kristie Tamsevicius (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, $14.95). Grab your free copy today and only pay for the shipping. See kristiet.com for details.
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Keep a handy calendar of all activities that provide a potential volunteering opportunity. Ask the school for a copy of their school calendar so you can evaluate your options carefully. If you feel your time would be better utilized in the school play during the holidays, sign up for that as soon as possible. Or, if you are really into Science or Book Fairs, find out exactly what volunteer positions are available that would best fit your talents. Perhaps you love to go on field trips with your kids. Find out which ones are coming up and get on the volunteer schedule.
Once you commit to a volunteer position, make sure you keep on top of them all by jotting them down in a personal calendar. Getting all the details helps immensely in figuring out in a flash when something is going to happen and who is doing what and when. One of my favorites is the large flat wall calendar by ThinkBin. The ThinkBin Family Calendar was created by two moms who, between the two of them, found themselves spread too thin and could not find an acceptable system that worked to keep their families organized. See www.ThinkBin.com for more details. Another favorite is one I love to carry with me wherever I go, the Busy Body Book. It has awesome pouches, wide columns and an area to organize schedules for up to five different family members. Check out www.BusyBodyBook.com and see what I mean. Both of these are incredible tools in getting organized right from the start, which is crucial to having a successful school year.
Volunteering is more meaningful than you might imagine. Everyone benefits and kids love to see their parents in their classroom and out and about in the community. It teaches them the importance of spending time to help others, making a difference, caring and sharing.
Reports indicate that research have shown that kids whose parents volunteer have amazing self-esteem, more motivation and are higher achievers. Best of all, they are more likely to demonstrate patience, execute quality leadership skills, thoughtfulness, kindness and see challenges in a more positive manner...a true recipe for tomorrow's future leaders – our children!
© Jodie Lynn, 2003-
Jodie Lynn is an award-winning internationally syndicated family/health columnist and radio personality. Her syndicated column Parent to Parent has been successful for over 10 years and appears in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and throughout the Internet. She is a regular contributor to several sites including eDiets.com, KeepKidsHealthy.com, ClubMom.com, BabyUniverse.com, CatholicMom.com, MainStreetMom.com and MommiesMagazine.com. Lynn has written four books and contributed to three others, one of which was on Oprah and has appeared on NBC in a three month parenting segment. Her latest books are Mom CEO (Chief Everything Officer) - Having, Doing and Surviving It All! (June 2006) and Syndication Secrets - What No One Will Tell You! (March 2006).
Please visit www.ParentToParent.com for details on her new radio talk show, Inside Parenting Success.