Back to school - for parents!

Whatever you might think about the President's address to school children the other day, it's hard to argue with the importance of a good education. Your children may still be undecided about what they want to do after finishing high school, and depending on their age, they'll probably downplay their feelings about the value of school. Whether you've got a first grader who's still excited about learning, or a jaded teenager counting the days to graduation, the fact is, they're going to be spending most of their waking hours there.

It can be frustrating for parents to have such diminished influence over their kids. There are some things you can do to make things easier, both for you and for your kids.

1. Start at an early age with getting organized. This can be as simple as a wall calendar that you use - with your kids' participation - to track everything that's going on, from after school activities to science fairs, from homework and project due dates to field trips. If you're more technologically inclined, start a Google Calendar for everything school related and have reminders of upcoming events emailed to you. Talk with your kids about the calendar - don't just fill it out yourself (though that may seem easier), because doing it together will teach them to keep themselves organized and on task.
2. The new day starts the night before. Set aside time for homework - and set aside time for unwinding - but it makes the morning a lot easier to pick out the next day's clothes ahead of time. (One family I know takes 15 minutes on Sundays to plan out clothes for the whole week. It may sound strange, but it's one less thing in the morning.) Pack lunch foods the night before. It's all about habits - hard to make, but hard to break.
3. Stay in touch with teachers. Many teachers are now using the Internet to list assignments on an ongoing basis - you can use this with your home calendar to make sure you're up-to-date on any changes. Also, find out at the beginning of the year what the teacher's preferred method of contact is - do they want to write notes back and forth in a spiral notebook, is e-mail more convenient, do they want telephone calls? It's not only okay to be a squeaky wheel when it comes to your kids' education - it's mandatory. If you talk with the teacher early in the year to set up some back-and-forth on an ongoing basis, they'll be able to plan for it, and you'll be more likely to follow through. Don't wait for a problem to arise before you get to know the teachers.
4. Open house. For many parents, going to open house is a no-brainer, but there are ways to improve on it. Remember going in that the teacher is going to be having conversations with anywhere between 20 and 70 parents in the span of a couple of hours. Keep your check-in brief, and use this time to set up a separate parent-teacher conference to talk about your kids' strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Also, call ahead of time and ask if there's anything you can do to help with the open house - whether it's bringing a snack, or showing up early to help set up, whatever might be helpful. You'll be helping a probably frazzled teacher and building a relationship with him/her.
5. Offer to volunteer. Yes, the "v-word" - "It's really hard to find the time for volunteering, and what could I do, anyway? I'd just make my kid nervous." Teachers are well aware of parents' feelings about volunteering, both positive and negative; if you ask, they'll be able to steer you in the right direction. Maybe they'll ask you to read to younger kids in a library reading time; maybe there's something related to your profession that you could talk with the kids about, or maybe you have a hobby or special talent you could share. Again, there might not be a great deal you can do to help - schools have specific rules about volunteering - but the offer creates good will between you and the teachers, letting them know that you've got their backs. It also shows your kids that you're interested in making sure they get the most out of their years in school.

Do you have any tips that have worked well for you? Share them in the comments.

Matthew Tiffany is a mental health counselor, freelance writer, and parent. He welcomes any questions or comments, and can be reached at his e-mail address,matthewwftiffany@gmail.com, by phone at (207)518-8145, and via his website.