How working parents can volunteer at their child's school

Samantha Ettus, MBA, offers suggestions on how working parents can stay involved and volunteer at a child's school
Working Parent Tips: How to get involved in your child's school despite your busy schedule
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How working parents can volunteer at their child's school

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So volunteering gets a really bad rap and a lot of experts I hear will say, "Just say no." But that's not really the way to handle volunteering. Because it's actually important for your kids that you are some way involved i their school. So as a working mom you need to be a bit more strategic about how you volunteer. In the beginning of the year, really map out one or two things that you're going to take on. For example, I'm my son's class mom. Now, I've very little time on my hands, but that allows me a windows into the PA meetings and it's not that much work and it makes him happy. Because he's excited that I'm his class mom. He knows about it. He's happy about it. Similarly at my daughter's school I've just taken on one role and that's what I stick to every year. So I'm involved but I'm not overly involved. Because I know that there are limits on my schedule. So rather than feeling guilty about saying "No" to everything I just proactively taken on one or two things in the beginning of the year and those are my roles.

Samantha Ettus, MBA, offers suggestions on how working parents can stay involved and volunteer at a child's school

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Samantha Ettus, MBA

Lifestyle Expert for Working Moms

Sam is the leading lifestyle and parenting expert for working women. Since earning her undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard, Sam has coached thousands of women - celebrities, entrepreneurs, top CEO's and professional athletes - who aim to perform at the highest levels in both their professional and personal lives.

Sam is a bestselling author of four Random House books and a Contributor to Forbes and Disney’s parenting site, Babble. She hosts a nationally syndicated radio show for working moms and the Conference for Women’s monthly radio show, “Office Hours.”

Sam hosted leading online talk show, Obsessed TV and is known for her interviewing skills. She has interviewed countless luminaries from Al Roker to Bethenny Frankel and Mary J. Blige. Sam has made hundreds of local and national TV appearances and is a sought after speaker at corporations, conferences and colleges.

Sam aims to practice what she preaches in her daily life as a mother of three and wife of entrepreneur, Mitch Jacobs. 

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Transcription: 
So volunteering gets a really bad rap and a lot of experts I hear will say, "Just say no." But that's not really the way to handle volunteering. Because it's actually important for your kids that you are some way involved i their school. So as a working mom you need to be a bit more strategic about how you volunteer. In the beginning of the year, really map out one or two things that you're going to take on. For example, I'm my son's class mom. Now, I've very little time on my hands, but that allows me a windows into the PA meetings and it's not that much work and it makes him happy. Because he's excited that I'm his class mom. He knows about it. He's happy about it. Similarly at my daughter's school I've just taken on one role and that's what I stick to every year. So I'm involved but I'm not overly involved. Because I know that there are limits on my schedule. So rather than feeling guilty about saying "No" to everything I just proactively taken on one or two things in the beginning of the year and those are my roles.