I don't volunteer at my daughter's school. It's better for both of us.

The author says that not volunteering at her daughter's school does not make her a bad mom. Courtesy of Virginie Romary My 9-year-old daughter is in 4th grade. Her elementary school encourages parents to volunteer. I decided not to, and I have no guilt about it. When my daughter, now 9, started kindergarten, I was very surprised that her school asked parents to take time off from their busy schedules to help in the classroom , during field trips, or at special events like book fairs. Coming from France , I was accustomed to a different approach. There, schools are viewed as strictly professional environments where only trained and certified individuals participate. Parents receive little encouragement to interfere in school activities. Upon realizing that American schools are more community-oriented and value volunteer involvement, I decided to give it a try.