Parents who are involved with school activities have good effects on students (see Reference 1). The child sees for himself that the parent is taking an interest in what he is interested in. By a parent becoming involved in an activity, the child is given an emotional-support boost. Parents, however, have to overcome the urge to do what they want, instead of what the teenager wants. For example, a parent may be very interested in football, but the teenager may be interested in art.
When the word "activity" is mentioned, the first thought is usually sports. Many parents and teenagers are non-athletes, and are not motivated by sports activities. Thousands of activities exist that do not involve sports. Parents can, for example, form a social service organization to clean up litter at a country roadside, or to help the elderly clean their homes. Parents can start other valid activities such as a chess club, an art club or a science club. Parents have to be creative, and work closely with their child and the school to determine what their common interests are.
A teenager becoming successful as an adult is the overall goal of parental involvement. Parental involvement should start in kindergarten, carry through to grade school, and finally to high school activities. If a teenager knows that a parent is supportive, the child will evolve into a useful and productive member of society.
Parental involvement is not just a parent reaching out to schools. Schools must take an active role, and reach out to parents. Schools can announce in the community that parent volunteers are needed for various activities. According to the Project Appleseed Organization, schools must undertake steps to reach out to parents and the community (see Reference 2). One step is communicating. Oftentimes, schools neglect to inform the local media about events that need parental involvement. By schools reaching out, parents can become actively involved in students' lives and education.