GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

Benefits of Volunteering At Your Child’s School

Benefits of Volunteering At Your Child’s School

My daughters have been very fortunate to attend an elementary school which offers a parent participation program. This type of alternative education program emphasizes parent involvement with classroom learning, whether it be to accompany students on a field trip, prepare classroom materials at home prior to the teacher’s lesson, or to read with a small group of students. The idea is that students who receive support from multiple adults will have a more enriched learning experience.

How to Volunteer at School

Even if your children are not in a specific parent participation program, you can still volunteer in your child’s school. There are many benefits for you and your children when you seek out opportunities and get involved with your child’s education. Here’s my top 10! [Read more…]

Writing Grants for Community Service Projects for Students and Parents

Writing Grants for Community Service Projects for Students and Parents

Students can apply for grants to fund their community service projects by preparing grant proposals that are managed by a community nonprofit agency or their school. After receiving approval by the administrator of a community agency or their school, students and their parents can complete the following grant template to organize their ideas for a funding organization. Funders can be found through online fundraising websites or at a local library that manages an online fundraising database (e.g. Sunnyvale Main Library in Sunnyvale, California) in your community. Once the community agency or school approves your program plan, you can complete their grant application documentation and have the community agency or school submit their supporting administrative and financial documentation to the funder for grant review and approval. [Read more…]

Family Community Service

Family Community Service

Children thrive when they have important roles and responsibilities in their home, school, and community. The holiday season is a perfect opportunity for children to create or support a program that serves the needs of various cultural communities around the world. Kids can develop empathy and respect for diverse cultural communities while supporting their schools and communities with their families. Many schools sponsor clothing drives, gift collections, food collections, and emergency support programs for those affected from natural disasters. As part of their learning, students can learn about another country and culture as they participate in a cultural experience of community service. [Read more…]

Family Members Must Accommodate for a Special Needs Child

Family Members Must Accommodate for a Special Needs Child

Most parents, who have children with special needs, struggle with how to respond to the other children in their family. Some parents overly accommodate for the special needs child and ignore the needs of their other children. Other parents reward the other siblings by indulging in their material needs because they do not have time for quality activities. Typically, when parents cannot find the time to care for all of their children, the other children may respond by:

  • Acting out aggressively with anger and frustration
  • Shutting down and hiding their emotions
  • Becoming overly kind and not taking care of their own personal needs

[Read more…]

How Moms Care for and Support Their Children

How Moms Care for and Support Their Children

 

Through working with many mothers, I have become aware of how much moms care for their children. Often moms care for and support their children under very difficult circumstances.

 

Many of the moms who come to my parenting workshops are immigrants to this country. They often have a limited formal education and live in poverty. Yet, they are committed to supporting their children’s academic success. [Read more…]