My son just started preschool this week, and his teacher sent out an email to all the parents asking if anyone was interested in volunteering to be a room parent. I wasn't sure what that was, so I looked it up, and it looks like it's someone who helps with classroom events and acts as a contact person for other parents. Has anyone been a room parent before? What was your experience, and how much of a time commitment was it? I like the idea of volunteering, but I also have a one year-old to take care of in addition to my preschooler.
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I was just the room parent for my son's preschool class this past year, I split the responsibilities with another parent as I was working full time and not doing drop off or pick up.
Basically, we organized things for class parties using sign up genius and we organized the class gift at the end of the year. Additionally, we had a family friday every week, where a parent came in and either did a craft, read a book, did a trail walk, etc. Also organized via sign up genius. And I did the fundraiser this year, coordinating and assembling the gift basket.
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@looch: Thanks for the info! So for the family friday and other events where you had to go to the preschool, was it something where you could bring your younger child with you? I'm a SAHM, so my one-year-old is with me full time, and I would need to bring him wherever I went. I'm wondering if having him around would get in the way of being a room parent
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It wouldn't have been appropriate to bring a younger sibling. The commitment was voluntary though and we had some parents that didn't participate.
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I was never a preschool room parent (they didn't have them), but I was the room parent for kindergarten. I have a younger daughter, 3, and it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to bring her, but I could see this varying for preschool? If you're interested, I would ask the teacher if you can bring your little one. Teachers love when parents show an interest in being involved so maybe they can accommodate!
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I've been a room parent and the time commitment was minimal. I work FT and had no trouble fitting it in, but we were only expected to attend a meeting with school staff/leadership like every other month (at the end of the day, so at least scheduled well), send out an email to the class parents before the meeting asking if they had anything they wanted me to anonymously bring up at the meeting and to help organize holiday giving for our class. The latter again was really just sending out an email giving people the option to just give me cash and I would buy a group gc for the teacher on their behalf.
We were not expected to organize any classroom activities and outside of the meeting, everything could have been done on weekends or evenings so as not to interfere with work, etc.
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