Every parent wants their child to succeed. Any parent who says otherwise is either crazy, lying, or didn’t hear the question.

It hurts whenever we see our kids struggle with homework or school in general, but you know that’s a large part of life. You try to help out as much as you can and be as involved as possible.

One of those ways of being more involved is to help out or volunteer at your child’s school. If you’re a stay-at-home-mom, it can be a way to occupy your time as well as meet other moms or parents at the school.

Below are five different ways that you can help volunteer at your children’s school. It’s not only beneficial for the school but can be beneficial for your long term physical and mental health. Of course, these are just five quick ideas and there are plenty more out there!

See What Fits Your Schedule

When it comes to volunteering, there are going to be a myriad of opportunities around. You’re going to want something that fits your schedule and something you can commit to on a regular basis.

It does no one any good if you’re being wishy-washy with your time commitments and you don’t show up to anything. See what you are physically able to do and make a plan to stick to it.

See If You Can Use Past Skills

Many schools are looking for volunteers to help students with reading, their homework, or helping with math drills. If it’s elementary school, you’re going to be more likely to help out as opposed to helping high school students with their organic chemistry products.

Some preschools and elementary schools need volunteers to help their students with various crafts or even cooking skills. You don’t have to be a Master Chef finalist, but every little bit will help and you’re bound to have a great time as well.

Of course, you may be asked to do something completely out of your comfort zone and that’s OK! If they need you to help pick out promotional items for the Homecoming dinner, then that’s great too.

Be Involved With the Big Picture

School events, such as open houses, book fairs, Grandparent’s Day, etc. always need plenty of volunteers to help out. See what you can do on those days to help out.

It’s also a great way to see what exactly is going on at your kid’s school. You might have a silent type or feel like you may not be as “in the know” as you would like, but this is a surefire way to see what’s going on in your kids’ lives. It can also be a great way to spend some quality time with your children or see how they interact with others.

Attend Parent-Teacher Events

The best way to network with teachers and be involved in your kid’s life is to make sure you’re attending and volunteering at these parent-teacher events. It could be something as simple as helping set up food before hand or cleaning up after.

It will give you a good chance to not only speak with the teacher, but to maybe get a more personal approach with your child’s teacher or those that work at the school. You can develop a positive relationship with them which can only help in future parent-teacher conferences and other events.

Volunteer With Others

It always helps to be more involved in the community and school if you know more people in that certain community. One you start going to more and more events, you’re going to start meeting more parents. Some of them may have children that are classmates with your child, while some may not.

These can also be fantastic networking opportunities or the chance to make new friends for yourself.

It can also be a chance to volunteer as a family. Make sure you talk with your child about your level of involvement and see how they would react with you being at their school on a regular basis. Younger ones might be happy to have you in the halls while your older children may greet you with a cursory wave from far away.