An important parenting that I began at Stanton as the chief of staff, responsible for managing school culture and day-to-day operations. After two years in that role, I stepped into the principal position and started overseeing academics as well.

My perspective on family engagement that is an important parenting has evolved significantly since 2011. Back then, I believed our role was simply to direct families to the resources they needed, leaving it up to them to access those resources. We might hand out a pamphlet or provide a phone number, without much follow-up to ensure the family actually found what they were looking for. Today, I understand that it involves far more than that.

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Additionally, during my first year at Stanton, I struggled to grasp the importance of involving parents and the broader community. I assumed that, given the pressing academic and instructional demands, we should concentrate exclusively on classroom work. Everything else felt like a distraction. I’m extremely grateful for the lessons I learned that year. It was challenging, but I believe going through that experience was necessary to get us to where we are today.

We teamed up with the Flamboyan Foundation to rethink how we engage families, and they recommended building more trust within the community through home visits. The goal was to foster a stronger partnership as an important parenting between teachers and parents, recognizing that academic progress and social-emotional development require everyone to be aligned. Teachers wanted the ability to simply pick up the phone and say, “Hey, mom, Martin is excelling,” or, “Martin is struggling,” and have that conversation met with trust and understanding, instead of the skepticism they had previously encountered. Parents, naturally, wanted a clearer way to stay informed about their child’s experience at school.

We also wanted families to feel that we recognized the many changes they’d experienced at the school and that we were committed to improving things for them—we weren’t leaving and were here for the long term.

Ultimately, a stronger partnership would benefit everyone.

Over the summer, teachers began conducting home visits. We started an important parenting with a dedicated group of teachers and didn’t pressure those who weren’t ready to participate—we understood the importance of beginning with a motivated team for the visits to be effective. Today, of course, all our teachers take part in home visits.

Things went really well. In the beginning, some parents weren’t entirely sure what we were doing, but we addressed that right away. We trained teachers to explain to parents, “This is a relationship-building visit. We’re not here to inspect your home or judge anything—we’re here to learn from you because you have valuable insight on how we can best support your child.” When we presented it this way, parents responded very positively.

Initially, we had to call families a few times to set up the visit, and occasionally we had to think creatively to figure out how to reach them. But once parents began seeing teachers out as an important parenting in the community, connecting with them became much easier.

Over the summer, interest in the home visits grew so much that, by the time school started in the fall, parents we hadn’t yet visited were proactively asking about the program.

Exactly. On the first day of school, the conversation went, “I haven’t met my child’s teacher yet, but so-and-so next door already did. When will my home visit happen?”—instead of the suspicious talks about things like uniforms that we were having the previous year.

We also used those home visits as an opportunity to inform parents about the various services available in our school. Over time, parents began asking about supports like nutrition guidance, trauma counseling, and help with transitioning to middle school. Even before the school year began, we were able to address some of the requests parents were making.

I realized that providing some of these resources to our students could dramatically improve their ability to fully engage with the challenging instruction we were offering. Honestly, I can’t imagine schools functioning effectively without comprehensive support for students and active involvement from parents and community partners. It’s probably possible, but academic success becomes much harder when children’s other needs aren’t being met.

Huey (name changed) joined us at age five. He hadn’t attended consistent pre-K programs, and as a kindergartner, he was constantly in tears—seriously, all the time. Within a few months, he began displaying physical outbursts toward his teacher and classmates, to the point where he was being pulled out of class almost every day.

Around that time, we had just started a partnership as an important parenting with the Department of Behavioral Health, which allowed us to have a therapist on staff. After several weeks of Huey’s outbursts, we arranged for the therapist to meet with his family. Together, Huey’s teacher, therapist, and parents met in his living room to decide the best way to support him.

The therapist explained to his parents, “We need to find a solution for your son because he isn’t able to stay in class long enough to progress—it’s reached a critical point.” Though it was a difficult conversation for the parents, they responded positively, and everyone committed to working together for Huey’s success.

These home visits continued throughout the school year. When summer arrived, instead of letting Huey fall further behind, his teacher offered to tutor him at home. The therapist also provided regular sessions over the summer and even accompanied the teacher to some visits.

During that first year, I met with Huey almost every day. By the next year, with stronger parent involvement, I only needed to see him about once a month. Huey no longer cries constantly and has become one of the top math students in his kindergarten class.

I am thrilled to support Huey’s promotion to first grade. Not only has he built strong academic skills, but he has also developed the social and emotional abilities to succeed. He can now calm himself when upset and clearly communicate his needs to both adults and his parents.

Huey’s story is not unique—our entire school has seen the impact of home visits. At the end of the year, our data showed that students who received more summer home visits were more likely to return to school the following semester. These students also made greater gains in reading.

Additionally, we’ve seen increased parent engagement as an important parenting in school events, and we successfully relaunched our parent-teacher organization, now attended regularly by a committed group of parents. That matters to me as much as academic progress.

At Stanton, I believe it is our duty to equip parents with the tools they need to support their child’s growth, even after they leave our school. My aim is that any parent—whether they are with us for a month or eight years—leaves feeling more confident in their ability to support their child academically and beyond.

Being a parent can be incredibly fulfilling, but it can also be extremely hectic! Between dropping kids off at school and juggling countless other tasks, some days might feel like you don’t have a single moment to yourself. And even when you hear about the importance of self-care, it’s easy to brush it off as unnecessary, indulgent, or even selfish.

However, self-care isn’t about being self-centered—it’s about maintaining your health and well-being. In fact, practicing self-care can be one of the most effective ways for parents to care for themselves while still fulfilling family obligations. When approached with the right perspective, it’s clear that self-care is far from selfish.

Keep reading to learn the distinction between self-care and self-indulgence, as well as how meaningful self-care can positively impact both you and your family. Then, explore five practical self-care activities for parents that can help you boost your well-being one day at a time.

Many people confuse self-care with self-indulgence. You might picture scenarios like nibbling chocolates in a bubble bath or strolling along the beach. However, this misunderstanding is not only incorrect but can also discourage practical or altruistic individuals from engaging in self-care that could enhance their physical and emotional health.

The key difference between self-indulgence and self-care lies in the results. Self-care practices support our health and help us perform at our best. In contrast, self-indulgent behaviors, such as binge-watching TV or neglecting responsibilities, offer only temporary relief rather than addressing our real wellness needs. Over time, self-care provides lasting satisfaction, while self-indulgence might feel enjoyable initially but can undermine our well-being.

Some examples of self-care that are easy to overlook include brushing your teeth, eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, or taking prescribed medication for physical or mental health conditions. These activities fall into the categories mentioned earlier and support a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Engaging in such self-care practices can help you feel energized and ready to handle your daily responsibilities.

Parents often devote so much attention to their children that they neglect their own needs. Sometimes, even finding a moment to get dressed can feel like a challenge, let alone doing something that nurtures social or professional well-being. However, by making self-care a daily priority, you’re not only taking care of yourself but also ensuring you can be present and supportive for your family.