Are there Enough Hours in the Day?

Do parents want to be more involved in their children's education? Statistics answer with a resounding yes! Are parents' schedules conducive to that involvement? Here, the stats are not so optimistic.

A 1992 survey conducted by the National PTA found that nearly two out of every 10 parents say they lead "extremely" stressful lives. And the pressures of working and raising a family leave many of them feeling guilty for not spending enough time with their children. Parents struggle daily with time constraints. Pressures are felt even more sharply by single parents, who say that the extra responsibilities leave them little time to devote to educational purposes. In addition, one-quarter of working parents say that it is difficult to arrange time off from work to attend to a sick child, arrange a parent/teacher conference, or participate in a school activity.

Some studies show an increase in two parent/four income families (each parent working two jobs). Obviously the extra hours on the jobs affect the time parents have for involvement with their children's education. But do they expect their school systems to pick up the slack?

School districts are encouraging more parent involvement, and parents are beginning to feel more welcome in schools. All they need now is the time. Though the cards appear to be stacked against parent involvement, The Institute for Educational Leadership has some encouraging statistics. When polled, parents of K-6 graders gave the following responses:

• 79 percent check almost every day to see if their children have completed their homework;
• 70 percent discuss school almost every day with their kids;
• 63 percent say they help their children almost every day with their homework; and
• 57 percent speak with their child's teacher 1-5 times during the school year, including phone conversations.

If you are feeling the time squeeze, try to talk with your supervisor about your need to be in touch with your child's education. More and more businesses realize that parents are more productive when they are not stressed about family matters, and options such as flextime, comp time, and telecommuting might be available. Also, talk to school personnel about arranging after-hours meetings and conferences that you can more easily attend.

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