Put yourself in the place of parents, and always appreciate the context that your OSCAR programme operates inside. Most working parents are trying their best to "do it all" and many suffer from guilt that their child has to be in before and after school classes at all. The stresses of modern life are many and your programme exists to support families' schedules, so show you care about them as well as their kids.

Have a mini orientation process to introduce new families to your programme. Confirm they've made a great decision by including a welcome flyer with emergency contact information and a few key reasons why yours is the best afterschool programme for their child.

 

Stay up to date on family events so you can provide support where needed. Be sensitive towards the pressures on parents, and build in flexibility for their particular schedules and needs where possible. While it is difficult to deal with the impact of a late or forgetful parent, it is important to remain non-judgemental and remember you are teammates at the end of the day.

Keep parents in the loop! Make sure caregivers know they can contact you at any time and for any reason, and do your best to keep them updated on their child's activities and progress.

Ensure staff make an effort to connect with parents during pick up and drop off, if only briefly. Building trust and rapport with parents reassures them that their children are in good hands, encourages the open sharing of information both ways, and makes it much easier to have honest conversations should issues arise.

 

Always assume that the parent is the expert on the child, and act accordingly. Where there is a disagreement or difference of opinion, sharing your view from this perspective will put you both on the side of "the child", and leads to a much more productive conversation about how to resolve things together.

The best way to get parents on board is to be the best afterschool programme available! Happy kids mean happy parents, and excited, well-adjusted kids will rave about you at home and create all the warm-fuzzies you need to get a gold star from Mum and Dad.

 

Look after the little things the way a parent would. Sending a child home burnt or bitten because no one reminded them to apply sunscreen and insect repellent only increases a parent's sense of guilt and sets the scene for discord, whether or not the child is "old enough to do it themselves".

 

Consider sending out a parent email newsletter that summarises recent events and activities at your before and after school classes. Every parent enjoys feeling proud of their child, and it shows them you are paying attention and want to keep them involved.

aimy Plus software for OSCAR programmes streamlines your admin so you can deliver the best afterschool programme for parents and kids. Just get in touch for a free consult to see how we can help.