I was 29 years old, didn’t know anyone and was looking for any excuse to skip the event that had been the hot topic of conversation for weeks. It was only October and we had been a part of the Corpus Christi school community for only a few short weeks. My discomfort level with strangers and nerves about being a new kid meant that I had not made any actual connections. The idea of a full day hanging with strangers and standing out as a scared, clueless parent in the face of all the enthusiasm that had led up to the day...well. I was hoping for strep throat.
The day came and my kindergartener could not be contained. He was jumping around in his Walk-a-Thon t-shirt before 8 am. I stalled as long as I could, even considered bullying my husband into taking the kid. He’s social and loves this sort of thing! Sure, he’s on crutches and a Walk-a-Thon seems like a bad idea, but he’s strong and… even I realized that I was crossing some sort of marital/mental line. So, I put on my brave pants, tied my shoes, pulled the kinder boy off the ceiling and went.
Of course, parking was an issue and I thought, “Well, no where to park. Better call it a day.” As if that was going to be an option with Mr. Energy in the back seat. As we walked down Park Blvd. I asked him, “Are you nervous?” He replied, “For what?” Right. Me either. We approached the school, and as we got to the big driveway, a group of older kids charged us. “Hi Jake! Come do a lap with us!” He grabbed the hand of a tween, stranger (to me) and with the smile that I still adore to this day, skipped off down the road.
I was on my own. But, seeing your kindergartener so socially competent and brave does give a girl some motivation. I had signed up to volunteer and was grateful to have a place to report. At the registration tent, I checked in for duty and was put immediately at ease. A kind lady walked me to the game I was running and deposited me for the next 2 hours. I used the bean bag collecting as my ticket to belonging. I loved meeting the kids, realized how many parents shared that deer in the headlights look and enjoyed every time I saw my boy - from afar - in ever escalating stages of face paint and hair spray.
Volunteering is not only the key to success for fundraisers of all sorts, but for me, was the perfect crutch for social anxiety. When we volunteer, we are automatically facilitating interaction and engagement. We create a sense of belonging and all communities that embrace belonging progress towards common aspirations. Our kids connect at school and all our parent surveys tell us that this connection to community is one of the finest qualities of this school. But, we parents also make up this community. In fact, it is through our willingness to commit, to engage and to volunteer our time that the foundation is laid.
The WAT needs volunteers for Saturday! Find a spot and use it as the perfect perch from which to watch your children show you what this community means to them. And find out what it can mean for you.