Many parents step back from school involvement once the Middle School and High School years arrive. I recommend hanging in there in new ways. Though my days of being room mom, driving on field trips and making graveyard cakes for Halloween are over, by offering my name as someone who can help with random needs at my kid’s High School, I have helped there several times. Being there gives me a chance to get to know the school climate and community. Helping with activities helps me get to know my kids friends and classmates. As kids get older, their friends and school community play larger roles in their lives. We parents need to know, really know, the other kids as well as the community pressures our kids face. Oh – and it’s still fun to volunteer at school even without my purple Halloween wig!