Get Involved

One of the best ways we can bond, teach, and share memories with our children is by getting involved in their lives in a very proactive way.  How do we do this..?  How do we show our kids that what they are doing is important and meaningful for us and that their lives, education, and experiences are something we value?  What does being involved in your children’s lives mean to you?  What does it mean to them..?  Here are some suggestions on getting involved in your child’s life.

                Help with schoolwork.  When we help our kids with their homework or assignments, we show them that school is important and that learning is essential for success in life.  This also gives an opportunity to teach, as well as understand our child’s progress and what might be challenging for them.  Help develop their strengths and support growth where they might be struggling.  Read books with your kids.  Children whose parents read to them do better academically, progress in their development more rapidly, and statistically do better in higher education. 

                Visit your child’s class, go to PTA meetings, events, games, plays, participate in their growth and experiences in school by being an active present parent.  We all have memories of when our parents either did or did not show up for school events and how that impacted us.  These events will become your child’s memories of you in their life.  Make a point to be present for them and enjoy their face lighting up when they see you in the crowd. 

                These are just a few ways we can engage with our children and show them that their lives are important to us.  Research clearly shows that parents who are involved in their kids lives help support long term academic and professional success, as well as providing the emotional support that fosters healthy psychological development and social connections.  We owe it to our children to show them how important their lives are to us. Let’s get involved.  Another way we can learn about how to support our children is enrolling in parenting or co-parenting courses through parentaid.org where we explore more ways to get involved and stay present in our children’s lives.