Join your school's parent association. Just do it.

Do you attend meetings of the parent's association at your child's school? Or does the very thought of it make you cringe in horror? If nothing else, going to those meetings can be an instructive lesson in why special-needs parents have their heads on straight -- hearing the things that some people find to worry about when they don't have anything real and life-altering to involve themselves with will, if nothing else, make you feel pretty good about yourself. But becoming involved in the parent politics of your child's school has other benefits as well. Today's addition to August's countdown of 25 Ways to Make This the Best School Year Ever offers the Top 10 Reasons to Join Your School's Parent Association. Come on. You can do it. It's only once a month.

• More on volunteering
• How well do you know your child's school?