I remember being a mom with my two boys at SYC. I didn’t have any family or even any friends with children in town—no one to talk to about being a parent. When a neighbor pointed out that there was a good preschool nearby, I signed my 3-year-old son up at SYC immediately.
I loved the nurturing feeling I got from the teachers. I remember listening to them talk to the kids and thinking that they knew just the right thing to say. But when my own son was crying or unhappy at school, I felt embarrassed trying to handle it in front of the teachers and other parents. So I volunteered in class a lot because I wanted to learn different ways to handle the tough situations.
Now when I think about welcoming parents into the classroom, I remember how it felt to be a parent in class myself. Not being quite sure what to do or say, not really knowing if something I was doing was helpful, but the more I hung around the more comfortable I became.
We hope that you are starting to feel comfortable and welcome in class. Teachers are so busy most of the time that it’s hard for them to stop and talk or give much guidance when you are volunteering. But we want you to know that we appreciate your presence, whether you are volunteering or just visiting. We really value getting to know your family better and working together to give your child the best experience we can.
You can just visit or you are also welcome to read stories or share an activity that you enjoy. We have had a parent tell us a story about breaking his arm when he was a child. We have had parents show the kids how to make fried rice. We have had singing and dancing parents and we have tried on Japanese kimonos. If you think of something you would like to try, we will be glad to help you. So please consider coming in to spend some time in class.