Volunteering at your grandchildren's school

Volunteering to help out in any capacity at your grand-children's school is very important to me.  I am the Grandmother, the one who has already sent my boys off to school every day way back when it was their time to go to elementary through high school, and then I would pick them up from the Daycare Center they went to after school. I MISSED OUT ON EVERYTHING IN THEIR SCHOOL YEARS.  Since I was a professional executive for a large financial institution, my job demanded my full attention each weekday and I stayed with it for 26 years and made good money to raise my boys and contribute to the household income.  I loved my job, but I hated it when notes came home from school stating there was a field day coming or that a teacher might need  some help in her classroom and was looking for volunteers.  I only got to go to the events that were at night, like PTA meetings or plays or their soccer and basketball games on the weekends.  I wish I could have been available to give of my time when my sons were in school, but I worked as I'm sure a lot of young moms and dads do now.  BUT, guess what???? Some of us lucky ones became grandmothers!!!! .... and we've since retired from our stressful, demanding jobs and now we are left with all of this time on our hands.  New time,  for the new grandchildren.   This is our chance to give back and donate our help by volunteering in our grand-children's school in any capacity the school may need help in.  I love to get a note from a teacher or principal asking for my help in the classroom or library or with a play or some activity at school or to be a chaperon at an off-school event.  This is our time to show our son's or daughter's that we are wanting to be a large part of our grandchildrens' lives and hope that they realize that we really  wish we could have done the same for them when they were going through school, but we were tied to our jobs and could not help out at their school, even though we wanted to.

I now have 3 grandchildren in school, Kindergarten, 1st grade and 4th grade.  I do not work out of my home so I love to volunteer at their school as much as possible, and let me tell you, it feels wonderful when all of the children in your grandchild's room know your name and run up to greet you with a hug and a "Hi, Ms. Melly, I'm so glad you're here today.  Will you be staying all day", or " Will you be in the library all this week?"  It gives me such a warm feeling to know that I am welcomed by these tiny new growing children who really get excited when I come to help.  It helps to have an outgoing personality that offers something special to the children at a level at which they can understand better and take to immediately.  I often dress up as a 'character' when I am asked to read to the classes and the kids go bananas over the fact that I look entertaining to them.  Who else will be a 'character' for them and show up in the classroom with jokes, new ways of reading to them and fun activities for them to do.  I love to take art supplies to their classrooms and teach them something new that does not take too long, that they can take home with them and also replicate at their own home for their parents. 

Just take a moment and think about what you feel comfortable doing for your grand-children's classroom and then JUST DO IT!!!  It can be as small as taking in baked goods, juices or some art supplies the teacher may ask for outside the school's budget.  Think about it, those are really easy simple things you can do to help out, the teacher's and faculty really need your help, in any way you can help.  And if you have the outgoing, no holds barred personality like I do, you might even be asked to come to school as Mrs. Santa Clause and sit beside Santa when he makes his rounds to the schools for picture day.  I have been Mrs. Santa Clause since my first granddaughter, now 9, started kindergarten.  The school board simply asked me one day if I would like to be Mrs. Santa Clause,  because they saw the enthusiasm I had for entertaining the children and they took a chance and asked me to do something out of the ordinary.  They had never before had a Mrs. Clause for picture day, but they turned that simple request into an annual job I now have for ONE day of the year.  I love my job as Mrs. Clause and plan to continue the part for as long as they ask me to do it.  I have now also become Mother Goose, totally in costume, who comes and reads to the younger classes 3 days a week.  You have no idea, until you try it, how good and warm it makes me feel when I am seen walking down the halls of the school looking for the next classroom, and children are  gathering close to me,  for just a hug, a pat on the head from a white gloved Mother Goose, or just a stare in awe from a child who can't believe he or she is seeing Mother Goose in THEIR school.  It feels almost like being a celebrity, and in a way, I guess I am.  When you are dressed as another person (Mrs. Clause), or a character (Mother Goose), you can let all your inhibitions fly right out the door and let that playful little girl you once were, come out and play again.  Having had no formal acting classes, I can say I play the parts with all of heart and that's what makes it so easy to do, because out there, in that crowd of tiny people are 3 of my most precious fans.....my own grandchildren.  Can you feel, what they feel, when they say to themselves or their friends......"That's MY grandmother up there!"  That is what I am here for; to make them happy and to be something special to them.  I'm already special to them because I am their grandmother, but this is a special memory they will have for the rest of their lives and they will tell their children about what Melly did when they were little and they too, might decide to do something like it for their grandchildren in the future.  I'm leaving them a lasting, loving legacy as best I know how.  You can too!  Remember, they are a part of you and they are a part of their school and they would love for you to be one, too........   Give them a small part of you for their school, for their memories, leave them a lasting and loving legacy.     Ta, ta for now,  Mrs. S. Clause  aka Mother Goose aka Melly