Cornell Cooperative Extension

What can I do to support my child in 4-H?

Express your interest in your child's activities. Let your child know that you are interested in what he or she wants to learn about and do in 4-H.

Offer to hold a meeting or gathering at your home or other location. Successfully hosting friends and peers can be a positive experience for a child if prepared properly.

Encourage participation on all levels in 4-H. Activities are available on the club, county, state and national levels open to club members or independent members.

Encourage your child to try something new. Moving out of their "comfort zone" with regard to 4-H project enrollments, can help youth discover new interests and develop new skills.

Help member attend meetings regularly. Develop and use a family calendar to help organize activities and ensure that your child keeps his/her commitments to the club. Assist your child in making informed, responsible decisions. Almost everyone enjoys attending a party, but when the party date falls on the night of a regularly or previously scheduled 4-H meeting, others are depending on your child to be there. Help your child understand consequences of decisions.

Help your child select, finance, and manage his/her 4-H projects. The materials and supplies to complete a 4-H project are the responsibility of the 4-H member. Help him/her to select projects that match the family's resources or assist him/her to acquire necessary materials and supplies. Help your child to understand that time is a resource to be managed as well.

Encourage your child to keep accurate records of his/her projects. Learning about the costs of materials (fabric, feed, display supplies, etc.) in addition to time logs and progress logs is an important skill.

Share your own special talents and skills. You may be a good organizer or have time to make phone calls or you may have a skill that qualifies you to teach a 4-H project to a group of club members.

Help your child recognize the effort in time and resources put forth by his/her club leader and/or project leaders. A personal recognition by a 4-H member is more important to most 4-H leaders than that of any other

Be open to learning along with your child! 4-H offers family-based learning opportunities that can benefit every member of the family. Explore something new and do it together with your child.