How Much Time to You Volunteer at Your Childs School?

I would love to volunteer in my daughter's class, but I have her three year-old brother at home. I have asked my neighbor's to collect their box tops and I give those to the class. I also send in supplies when her teacher asks says certain supplies are running low. My husband has a week off in May so I intend to help then, or at the very least read them a story. I feel guilty about it, but I'm kinda stuck. I'm new in the neighborhood so it's hard to find a sitter. I feel funny asking a neighbor to watch my son. Box tops is on thing, but babysitting is another!

EDIT: I would also like to add that people do what people do. It's a shame that people can be so judgmental about how others need to live their lives. If volunteering works out for and your schedule, that's awesome, but it doesn't mean that other parents are less effective or less involved because they don’t volunteer in school the way others may be able to.

I know if I were able to volunteer, but other parents do and don't do would be of little concern to me, why? Because it's not my place to judge, nor is it for me to worry about.

4 moms found this helpful

I am the only volunteer that comes in to the school in my son's kindergarten class. I volunteer every Wednesday for as long as I am needed. Sometimes it's 30 minutes and sometimes it's a few hours. But I am fortunate, because my younger daughter is welcome, I don't have to find a sitter and I am a SAHM, so my schedule is flexible.

Our teacher needs help with bulletin boards, copies and projects. She rarely asks for help with the running of the class unless it's a party. Many, in fact, most of the parents attend parties and special events. Younger siblings are allowed to those as well. Our teacher gives lots of notice and often schedules these events on half days, so that helps.

Our teacher also sends things home. So parents who can't schedule time to come in to the school can help. They staple things. Sometimes she needs things cut out and traced. I also consider when parents send in supplies and donates things to the classroom helping out. It takes time to do those things, even if it doesn't happen inside the school.

I think many parents have to work. And if my daughter was much younger (she is 3), it would be extremely difficult to be of any help. I am glad I can help and happy to do so. When I go back to work in a few years, I won't be able to volunteer in the class any more.

4 moms found this helpful

You will find the same group of people always volunteering and showing their children they are there and available to their children. Then you will have the complainers..ex. l simply don't understand why the pto cancelled their best fundraiser. This person never volunteered for a single thing at school. The excuse when confronting her about lack of volunteering was "I work"...I however volunteer for classroom, market day, room mom and.i have three kids and yes I have a job and an aging mom I care for, so wrong person to complain to. Thank you for being there for both your child as well as others who truly can not, and feel sorry for thoae who don't and are simply disconnected from their child and their school. It helps ths kids, helps you parent as you get to know the kids yours are around and habits to watch for that you don't want yours to catch. Once again thanks.

4 moms found this helpful

I know it is very difficult for working parents and parents with younger children.. My husband rarely was able to take off, but when he did our daughter loved it.

May I make a suggestion to working parents about volunteering at your child's school?

Plan one time in the fall and one time in the spring. Schedule it with the teacher.. Also have your partner do the same. It does not need to be the entire day.

You do not have to take the whole day off, and I promise your child will be thrilled and the teachers really do appreciate it.

3 moms found this helpful

I have had two different experiences. When we were in public school, it was always the same couple of parents that volunteered. I was in every Friday for several hours and then filled in where needed. Once we got to a private school setting, you almost have to fight to get in to volunteer because there are so many parents volunteering.

In short, I am like you and always shocked that more parents do not volunteer but then again, I think there are a lot of factors that play a role in that.

3 moms found this helpful

None during the day because I work FT. I volunteer at evening/weekend events and am on the PTA board at one school as the treasurer, which I can do during non-business hours.

K is hard - many of the parents who don't work have smaller kids at home, like you, but I doubt many bother getting a sitter to volunteer.

Perhaps she can explicitly state that only two parents have volunteered this year so there is plenty of room for more help. And maybe you or another parent could initiate a baby-sitting exchange - if someone else has small kids, one parent can go to the class while the other watches the kids and then switch off another time.

3 moms found this helpful

I volunteer quite a bit, I run a book club for the kids and I help with all special events (i.e. holiday parties) and I help whenever they ask for parents to come in and help for certain difficult activities. I have also helped with traffic at the beginning of the school day and I help with other PTA sponsored activities. You will find that different schools have more parent involvement. A lot depends on how many parents work outside the home and how many have other kids to care for. Our school has a lot of parent involvement, but some schools don't get much...it really depends. I like going in...I get a good feel for what the kids do all day.

3 moms found this helpful

I would love to volunteer more at my daughter's classroom but I have a full time job and if I volunteered every time they ask I would be taking a day off every week. I have voluteered about 3 times this year. I just wish I could do more. Other parents might be in the same boat as me with work.

2 moms found this helpful

When my son was in K, I could bring his 2 year old sister along and his brother was in preschool - then I was there for a few classroom events. This year, they have no siblings allowed and I don't have a daytime sitter. How do you find someone to watch your younger child during the day? My sitters are in school - and my family members all work.

So - I've volunteered at a few evening events. I send in things when they need them.

I'd love to spend more time in the classroom, and plan to as my other kids get into school.

2 moms found this helpful

Welcome to the world of the STP (same two/ten people).
There are parents who volunteer and parents who don't. If I had a nickel for all the parents who told me that they can't volunteer because they work, I'd be rich. No offense -- but we all work. Some of us work at night. Some of us work in the day. Some of us work 24/7.
My youngest is in high school. There are a core 6 families who volunteer for the band - a band with 45 kids that represent 40 families... No matter what we do, it's the same 12 people... The After Prom Committee is comprised of 20 people... The senior and junior classes are about 300 students each. You'd think that you might get more than 20 people who are interested in keeping kids safe after prom. BUT we get people to help that night, so it's better than nothing. I was PTO Chair at the middle school - again -- the same 10 people show up to help...
It is what it is.
I used to volunteer once or twice a week when my children were both in elementary school. As they got older, I continued with once a week. My youngest is in high school -- the fall is when they need the most help, so it can be more than once a week depending on the schedule. We are now coming into "Play" season and as we get closer to show time, I'll be needed more. My house is the overnight cast party location. It takes a HUGE amount of time to get the house, food, and supplies ready, so - while I may not be at school volunteering, I'm still working my tail off.
I volunteer where my kids are. I've done the middle school dances, the chaperoning of the field trips, the overnight trips, the band camp thing for a week at a time, the school lock ins, movie nights, the overnight cast parties here at the house -- you name it.
I've got one more year and then I'm definitely ready for my youngest to head off to college so I can get some rest! :-)
LBC

2 moms found this helpful

i volunteer in Kindergarten every Tuesday for 3 hours a day. I pay to have the baby in daycare during this time so that I can be involved. My son's teacher really lucked out because she has about 2-3 parents that volunteer in the class every day for 1-2 hours each. The teacher will ask for extra time when they do enrichment days (special days all the K classes travel to the other K classes).

2 moms found this helpful

My son is older (2nd grade) now so I volunteer only when the teacher or office staff ask me personally to do so. But even when he was younger I would still volunteer upon request it was just requested more often then. Although i love working with kids though and i am presently unemployed SAHM. But like Ariamom stated it is not always so easy for working parents to volunteer, i usually have to tackle and tatically plan my husbands volunteer time during school hours because he works and it is not that often but when he does volunteer he makes it count! and that is what matter too not just being there and being around like I've seen some moms do...i dont spend much time at my sons school this year to know what other moms do but i know the school he went to last year had way too many volunteers the moms stayed there all day, and were praised monthly on how many hours they volunteered and had monthly volunteer of the month posts, it was a little but scary to me they had their own lounge/workroom! Also you have to remember not everyone like kids so to volunteer with them in the computer room would not benefit your kid much.

1 mom found this helpful

My kids are not in school yet (Joe starts this coming year). However, the plan is that I'll be working during school hours so that when they're out of school, I'm home and with them for other family things. But someone mentioned that the teacher can send stuff home. I wouldn't mind picking up a pack sent home with my son for me to cut out, staple, trace, etc during off hours. When my oldest was in daycare/mother's day out, I did volunteer with cooking, baking, or field trips. I would LOVE to go on field trips, help out for field day, stuff like that with my kids if allowed, once they hit school. I do think it's important for the kids to see me taking an active interest in their school days, and it's important to know the teachers, in my experience. I'll definitely do what I can because it is a priority to me. Even though parents shouldn't be "judgmental" of those who don't volunteer because we don't know what's going on with others, the parents who aren't volunteering should also realize that it's frustrating for just a couple people to take on the whole load, all the time.

1 mom found this helpful

There is a very high rate of parent volunteers in the school my kids go to. The school lunch program is parent run, so I serve lunch twice a month. I also volunteer in my kindergartener's class room a couple of times a month. I help chaperone field trips and help out with class parties for my kindergartener and 2nd grader.

I suppose it depends on the school. Some have more of a volunteerism culture then others. Good for you for volunteering even though not many other do!

1 mom found this helpful

4 hrs a month for my younger two (3rd and 5th grade). I volunteer in their art class and the Library. I also work as a lunch supervisor, which is 2 hrs a day, Mon-Fri, but I get paid for that.

That doesn't count the volunteer time I put in for the Home & School Org, which usually takes place at the school, which averages 4 hours a month or so.

When I was a Kindergarten helper, it was twice a month, so approx 4 hrs.

I say that you should volunteer as much as you feel comfortable with - don't feel pressured to put in more time because no one else steps up.

1 mom found this helpful

My kids are 6 yrs apart. When my son started school I was working 2 jobs to be able to pay my bills and save to afford a maternity leave. I was a single parent & I didn't have time to go to school to volunteer. I did, however, supply whatever supplies and at home time I could manage. Whether it was sending crayons, markers, & kleenex, or cutting out, sorting out, or washing toys.
People do what people do. It is not anyone's place to judge. Just because you think someone has time to volunteer doesn't make it so. True volunteering is giving of yourself to help others without neglecting your own responsibilities. As the parent who didn't volunteer in the classroom, I had a LOT of gratitude and respect for those who did. Besides, a classroom full of 20 kids is not everyone's cup of tea.
Hats off to all who do volunteer and hopes that gratitude comes from those who don't.

That's lame. I work full time and volunteer about 3-4 hours a month. I would do more but it doesn't seem needed. In my daughter's K class, I think 8 or 9 parents volunteer fairly regularly. Probably more. In 1st grade, it was the same. My daughter's 2nd grade teacher doesn't seem to want volunteers much. I'm sure your daughter loves having you there. The K teacher told me recently some kids sadly say "my mommy never comes to help."

I volunteer all my time. We homeschool and lots of my friends are volunteering just as much as I do because they homeschool.

Each year has been different. When my son was in first grade, I went in once a month for an hour to teach art. Last year I went in biweekly for about an hour to my daughter's first grade class to help with rotations. I also would donate a lot of goods to the classrooms and spent a lot of time helping the PTA with things like Teacher Appreciation week.This year I have not volunteered much. I did a few times at the beginning of the year and found that the teachers were so disorganized that it was a waste of my time - I just stood around with 10 other confused moms, and nobody would tell us what needed to be done. So I have just donated stuff rather than time this year, like I will send items requested for class parties and such.