About a year ago I wrote this post about how to make the most out of your school volunteer efforts. D2 wasn’t enrolled in pre-school yet, so at the time I hadn’t yet dipped my toe into the volunteer waters. My biggest concern was how I would balance my already full plate with the obligatory service that all schools seem to expect these days.

One of the first things I read on the contract to enroll D2 in Montessori’s toddler program was that every family was required to contribute 20 volunteer hours or $200 per school year.  I told Dr. D. about the Faustian bargain agreement.

Well, of course we are just going to pay the $200 bucks, right?  Dr. D. thinks this is a non-issue.

We don’t have time to volunteer, he argues. Let’s pay the money and be done with it.

I shudder. What will the other parents think of us? What will D2′s teachers think? I’m positive we’ll be the only parents who choose to write a check.

I envision teachers clucking their tongues and classmates’ mothers giving me looks of disapproval. That’s D2′s mother. How sad she can’t peel herself away from her job to volunteer a few measly hours a year.

No way was I going down like that.

I resolve to be the Best School Volunteer. Ever.

In hindsight, I should have set my sights a little lower.

And therein lies lesson one:  If you are a busy parent with limited time, it’s easy to be overly ambitious and take on more than you can handle because you want to impress teachers and other parents.  But you do yourself no favors by stressing out over what should be a enjoyable activity.

Make it easy on yourself by starting small. Most schools are happy to have any level of quality parental involvement because they are focused on parent engagement.  

I learned a number of other important lessons along the way this year.

Only volunteer to do stuff you actually want to do.
I know this one is rather obvious. At the beginning of the year parents were given a volunteer sign up sheet with two pages of activities to choose from. I checked  the class laundry box (easy) and gardening (WTH was I thinking?). I do not garden at my own home. I am not sure why I thought I would garden at my son’s school. Needless to say, when the email notices came around reminding parents about the gardening “opportunities” I always found a way to be busy.

Besides, I really don’t like dirt that much.

I also don’t do crafts or crafty stuff but that’s another post.

On the other hand, I kicked ass as a member of the School Gala Aquisitions Committee. Turns out business relationships are good for snagging some serious swag for silent auction fundraisers.  The lesson here? Core competencies exist for a reason. Leverage your strengths and use those.

Don’t try to compete with other parents.
You know that chirpy mom who knows all the teachers, is BFF’s with the school principal and is a part of every major school activity? That’s not me and it doesn’t have to be you. Comparing yourself to what other parents do (or you think they do) or don’t do is a recipe for disaster. 

Instead, focus on doing something that is fun for you, helps you get to know your child’s teachers, classmates and allows you to contribute to the school in a meaningful way. 

Find activities that allow you to connect with your child’s teacher.
You and your child’s teacher will be one of her biggest influences in the early years. I checked the volunteer sheet box to be a classroom parent but apparently there is a super secret tenure system  I didn’t act quickly enough to land this job. Still, I found lots of ways to have contact with D2′s lovely teachers. Toddler class out of diapers or wipes? I was on it.

Laundry duty? Heck, I do plenty at home what’s another load? Done. These were low pressure activities that allowed me to chat with D2′s teachers and do a much needed service for his class.

Let other people be in charge.
My hunch is that working parents especially feel the brunt of this one. Wanting to prove you are an involved parent is not enough of a reason to take on leadership of a commitee or project you know damn well you don’t have time for.  And let’s face it, those of us who are used to being in charge at work find it easy to be in charge everywhere else. Stop!

Here’s my advice: Resist the urge to take charge of every committee or activity you are in. Sure that capital campaign committee you are on would probably run more efficiently if you led it but is it really necessary? 

It’s perfectly okay to be a follower. I repeat: It’s okay to be a follower.

Think of it as leading from behind or taking a break from being the one who has to make The Big Decisions. Enjoy being a worker bee and be happy knowing you are still making a difference in your child’s school. 

Now if your child’s classmate needs a new kidney or something and you are an ace fundraiser, by all means get to work.

I have huge admiration for the many parents who contribute dozens (if not hundreds) of hours to their childrens’ schools. Volunteering is serious work. Fact is, most schools couldn’t operate withouth the dedication of parents and the select handful of moms and dads who go above and beyond.

What I learned about balancing work, motherhood and all the stuff that comes with it is to know my limitations and feel okay setting boundaries. Most of all I learned that when it comes to volunteering it’s quality not that quantity counts.

Your turn. Do you volunteer at your child’s school? What have you learned from the experience?

 

This past October I attended Blogalicious Weekend 2011 in Washington, DC. While there I met Caroline Barrett,  a program officer with Shot At Life, a new global initiative of the United Nations Foundation. Shot At Life  is a  movement to protect children worldwide by providing life-saving vaccines where they are most needed. As a mother and a global citizen, causes supporting global maternal and child health are near and dear to my heart. I know how important vaccines are as a foundation to a healthy childhood; my toddler son has just finished his crucial two-year sequence of vaccines. 

I recently sat down with Peg Willingham, Executive Director for Shot At Life, to get her take on why this is such an important intiative and what moms can do to get involved:

How did Shot At Life come about?
The United Nations Foundation has had a long history of running successful global health campaigns. So much so that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation approached us to launch a grassroots advocacy initiative to support vaccination of children where they are most needed. We worked with a number of global partners to help develop the campaign. In our research, we  realized that mothers of young children were an important audience because mothers typically make the healthcare decisions in the family. We came up with the name Shot@Life to educate people about prevention.  By and large it’s not something most of us think about, but almost two million children are dying each year from preventable diseases.

Why are vaccines such an important health prevention tool?
Right now about 80% of children are covered world wide by vaccines. In the last few years there has been a realization that this is one of the most  cost effective, medically effective interventions there is for health preservation. Especially during a time when budgets are tight, the small cost of a vaccine can make a huge differenence in a child’s life. You can protect not just a child but an entire community.

There are so many reasons vaccines are important. Really, they are a tool for social justice.   Vaccines give children a level playing field. They are helpful for brain development and learning because some childhood diseases can cause brain damage.  A vaccinated child gets a leg up educationally and when they do better in school, they will eventually contribute to their economy. What’s more if a family is displaced by disaster or war, these children are protected where ever they go.

What are the top five things someone can do to get involved?
Spread the word! Talk about Shot At Life Facebook, your blog or on Twitter. People can also host get togethers at home or host a baby shower or scrapbooking party where proceeds go to Shot At Life.  Sign the pledge on line. You can also advocate by calling or writing to your member of congress and let him or her know you support funding life-saving vaccines for children. And of course, you can donate any amount. For just a few dollars you can protect a child for life against measles and other preventable diseases.

What role do you think mothers can play in spreading the word? 
Mothers are important becauase women are online more. More women are on Facebook and Twitter than any other group.Women  tend to be the ones who make the philanthropic decisions in families. And we get things done!  Mothers can relate to mothers in emerging countries. We all want the same thing for our children. The point is, you can do something. It doesn’t have to be huge. Use your voice. You can find ways to get people engaged. Right an Op-ed, do a viral video, help us co-create this campaign. It’s about the creativity and passion of mothers (and all who want to contribute). We hope to ignite a movement that makes people want  to help.

How are donations to Shot@Life used?  
All donations are used for vaccine programs.  We work with UNICEF and the World Health Organization to administer vaccines and, just as important, support vaccine  education, training materials and social mobilization.

Peg speaks so eloquently about mission of this initiative that by the end of our chat, I just knew I had to get personally involved. With all of the controversy surrounding vaccines in the US and other western countries, it’s easy to forget that not so far back in our recent history, people regularly died from influenza, measles and polio. It’s unthinkable that children elsewhere are dying from these diseases which are so easily preventable with inexpensive vaccines.

I’m excited to share that I’ll be volunteering for Shot At Life and participating in their national launch in April, 2012.  I’ll keep you updated with news about this movement and how you can help make sure that every child has an opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life, right from the start. I hope you’ll join me!