If your group has success, praise and thank widely. You want as many people as possible basking in the sunlight of a hard-earned win. And yes, that applies even if you did nearly all the work and saved the event yourself. Here are some tips for appreciating and thanking volunteers.

Similarly, if your group makes a mistake or drops a ball -- fess up, apologize, and refrain from pointing fingers. "We'll do better" is 8 million times better than "Sarah's mom shouldn't have screwed this up." The latter is a surefire way to lose Sarah's mom and a whole bunch of other volunteers.

This tip goes double for dealing with your principal. Take every chance you get to publicly thank her for support or helpful efforts (even overstating it). Honey works well with nearly every principal I've ever worked with. (Here's a column of mine on the care and feeding of your principal).

P.S. -- Have you checked out SchoolFamily.com lately? It's our sister site aimed at helping parents navigate the school years. Bet you'll find some great stuff there for you and your family. Hope you enjoy and perhaps share it with the wider group of parents at your school.