- sewing costumes
- making soup
- putting endless books and readers away at school
- cooking sausages at a band practice
- standing in the freezing cold watching their children play hockey, soccer and netball
- standing in the glorious sun to catch a glimpse of their child as they run the cross country
- transporting them to band play-outs
- dropping off instruments for music practice
- parking their car so they can walk to school with their child and their friends, and racing off to work
- sitting in on te reo Maori lessons with their child
- turning up to assembly to watch their child's class run assembly
- listening to their child sing the same songs over and over again so they know them by heart for their musical production
- ringing the school to find out how a long the show will be so they know how much time they need to take off work
- taking hockey, netball and mini-ball practice after school
- popping in to help with sport
- turning up each day for parent help in the class
- helping with PMP
- and I could go on and on...
These are just some of the examples of what parents do - they make such a positive difference in their own and other children's lives by simply being their and providing another adult for children to see in a positive supportive and caring role. Of course this is the only some of the stuff I see, I don't see what happens at home but I can tell when a child has had adults take an active interest in them by talking about their day, ensuring they are ready to learn the next day by being well fed, rested and prepared for the school day. All of this helps children make the most of these developmental years and also provides them with an example of parenting for their future. Not all children have the same advantages and access to positive adults and role models fro a huge array of reasons beyond their control. Everytime you you are doing something with and fro your child that benefits another you are potentially making a difference to someone else's future. What an awesome responsibility and legacy, so keep up the good work and realise the value you add every day.
