When it comes to your child's education, parents play an important role, especially during the formative early years. This is one of the best reasons to be acatively involved in your child's early educational experiences when they enter a preschool or Brookline family daycare program.

Fortunately there are ample opportunities for parents to become involved in their child's early education both in and outside their Brookline daycare program. In fact, there are enough ways to support your child in their program, it is always possible to find something that fits your schedule and interests. It could be assisting in the classroom as a "parent helper" or book reader, chaperoning a class field trip, sewing costumes for an event, helping out with fundraising activities, or taking on clean up duty after an event at your child's preschool in Brookline. Support is not limited to the hours in which your child attends daycare in Brookline either. Ask your child's teachers and daycare provider for ideas on activities to do from home, such as preparing materials for a lesson, food for snack time, organizing other parents.

Parents who work full-time typically have specific time constraints when it comes involvement in their child's Brookline family daycare program, but that doesn't have to be discouraging. There are always ways to help sacrificing your responsibilities at work. The first step is to determine the amount of available time.

Upon determining a manageable time commitment, a few hours a month or even weekly, take a look at the monthly activity calendar from your child's Brookline daycare and see what interests you. Parents who work full-time outside the home sometimes prefer to assist with different activities than stay at home parents with more flexible schedules. The secret is to find out exactly what is involved before committing to an activity at your child's Brookline daycare center.

Next, approach your child's teacher (parent-teacher conferences are an ideal time to do this) or caregiver and ask if she needs assistance with any of the activities that draw your interest or if there are others areas you can provide help. Chances are, she'll be more than happy to have you help out.

For parents of children attending preschool in Brookline becoming involved in your child's educational experience is an enriching experience for both you and your child. It helps parent and child maintain their connection and gives children the message that they matter.