Communication is key!
This is true in family, activities, education, and work. Any setting where people need to share – which is pretty much everywhere – communication is key! But communication is not one-sided. Don’t just absorb the information; ask, respond, and share.
Family
I almost have it down. We share dinners together to catch up on activities, focus on what is upcoming, or maybe plan a weekend adventure. Sometimes chatter is silly, sometimes there might not be a lot, but the important part is that there is chatter – we are communicating. And, I might throw a few things into the loop to get opinions – new books to read, ideas for my web show – you never know what might come up.
Work
Since I work from a home office and my boss does as well, communication is extremely important as it is usually done by phone calls and emails. I make sure to make a list of all things that need to be discussed when we have our conference calls so that nothing is missed. In emails, I make sure to be extremely detailed, including outlines of projects and any notes. And so an email from my boss doesn’t fall through the cracks, I’ve set up folders with priorities just in case I don’t catch emails as they arrive. I check these once per hour.
School
That is a whole other issue. Sending a note to school – it usually gets left in the daily folder or binder. Sending an email doesn’t always work because it may not get answered until a few days later, sometimes not at all. And when it comes to parties, activities, and trips – I can sometimes receive five copies of the same thing within a week’s time. Parents know – kids can be forgetful, teachers are extremely busy, and Homeroom Moms are AWESOME!
What To Do
So, what are parents, teachers, and volunteers to do so that information is not forgotten or lost, and resources are not wasted? Join Parentella of course!
Parentella is the social network for parents and teachers to communicate effectively with updates, homework, events, and volunteer opportunities. Parent, teachers, and volunteers can all join to work together in one cohesive manner. Teachers can communicate about the classroom, parents can network with other parents, and parent coordinators can send out volunteer opportunities for upcoming parties – and this is just the beginning!
Joining Parentella not only helps with effective communication, it saves resources and helps with networking. Receiving notifications online, volunteer forms, and even field trip forms, eliminates receiving duplicate copies in the daily folder. This allows the parent to choose the right information that needs to be printed – no wasting paper. And, what better way to meet parents within your child’s class!
Networking with other parents is a great way to stay involved. Has your child gushed about a new friend? Well, meet their parents, make a play date, or go out to lunch together. Socializing with other parents may also spark ideas of how to improve a project in class or plan ahead on class trips. Parents around town may know something happening around town that you may be interested in. It is a win-win for everyone!
Help!
Don’t be afraid to start your journey with Parentella. Not only are there demos to show you what you are getting when you join, Parentella is taking it one step further. Beginning this month (April), Parentella will have regular webinars that will show parents, teachers, and volunteers how to use the site, build communities, and use the volunteer management application.
Let us know if you use Parentella and what you like most about it. Not a current user? Well, if you decide to use Parentella, let us know about your journey.
Disclosure: Every Wednesday DannieSpeaks shares with you a spot from around the internet. This post is for informational purposes only. I was not compensated, nor obligated, to write about this website or service and my opinions are my own.
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