Parent-teacher conferences aren’t the only factor in your child’s success

According to OregonLive.com, state lawmakers in Salem are proposing a new bill that would require employers to allow up to eight unpaid work hours per year to give employees who are parents the chance to attend their children’s school conferences and activities.

But, are attending conferences and school activities really the end-all, be-all of a child’s success? We think not. We on The Advocate agree that the support of our guardians really strengthened us, individually, to push forward, but in the end, we could have managed on our own. The general consensus was that unless our guardians were sticking us in Harry’s closet under the stairs, feeding us dog food, or any other form of neglect, we would still succeed. In simple terms: parents who can’t attend every conference and basketball game are not awful.

If something really is important, parents should be responsible enough to mark the date of the conference, concert, or any other big event in advance.

There are some creative ways to get involved with your student’s academic life that are probably more effective than attending a conference.

If you’re a student at MHCC and you also have children attending school, it might be ideal to have family homework night. Ridiculous as it sounds, it can benefit everyone to work together, hold each other accountable, and get help when needed. Family homework night could make schoolwork less intimidating.

By setting an example for your children and making a schedule, you won’t have to sweat it later. You can schedule other activities more easily knowing that you won’t be doing homework at the last minute. And after the family finishes the hard work, pop some kernels and put on a movie – you all deserve it.

This may not work for everyone, but all families should be connecting somehow. It’s healthy to have some time during the week when you all do something together. It’s just understandable that a midday conference isn’t always an optimal time for families to engage and take part in academic life.