School Year's Eve

School Year’s Eve

August, 2014

Another school year begins in a few days.  For me this is the time of the year when I do my most introspection, my most planning, and my most hoping for the upcoming months.   This is my tenth year prepping for a new class, which means, now that I’ve hit the decade mark, that I’m an expert.  Obviously.  My expert status has given me the right (at least in my own blog) to disperse guidance about what makes a successful student.  To save everyone a long lecture, however, I’ve narrowed my opinions down to three things I wish every parent could know.

#1 -- School has to be a priority--everyone’s priority.  It’s very common for parents to set up rules like “homework has to be done before playing,” but I think this is only half of the story.  If school is meant to be a priority for kids then it needs to be a priority for adults too.  Go ahead and get homework done before playing, that’s great, but also homework needs to come before chores, babysitting siblings, and other home jobs.  I have many memories of my parents taking over dish duty for me when I had a test to study for or a project to complete.  I also remember them reading with me constantly, despite how tired they must have been.   For me it was very clear that school was important to everyone in my house and we all had to work together to make sure it happened.  And, not to brag or anything, but I’m pretty confident that my sister’s and my GPA speaks to successful implementation of this policy.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that kids shouldn’t do chores or play outside (in fact those are on my list of advice as well).  The ideal situation is to have balance between all these things.  What I am saying is that if you want your kid to put school work ahead of other things in his or her life, then you’ll need to put school above things in your life too.  

#2 -- Find something for your child to work hard at -- Among my friends this summer has raged the debate “youth sports vs. more free family time.”  I have some definite opinions on the matter that I won’t get into right now, but I will say this: kids in this generation, more than any previous, have got to find ways to work hard and extend themselves.  So pick something outside of school for your child to do and really push them to improve in it.  It can be sports, or raising an animal, or learning an instrument, or making movies, or scouting, whatever.  It has to be hard though; something they need genuinely work at to improve.  Your child doesn’t need to be THE best, but your child really should reach for his or her best in at least one thing.  

Think about it this way: kids today have so many things given to them easily, but the best things in life still require work.  Marriage, parenthood, careers, missions, living a moral standard, these things are hard.  How will our children know how to work hard at these crucial life elements if they’ve never been given the chance to work at anything?   

#3 -- Say yes to something -- Last year was an absolute mind-blowing shock to me when, because of a new leadership position I had at school, I became more involved with the PTA.  I could not believe how much stuff is done by the same small handful of people.  I really had no idea that so few people actually help at school functions.  So I started looking around at other children events, and again I could see the same families over-taxing themselves over and over again.  That’s when I came up with a new motto: “say yes to something.”   

If everyone in the school said yes to helping at even one school event, then all the fun stuff would be covered and all the work would be shared.  If everyone said yes to one extra curricular job (softball board member, girl scout leader, club chairperson, room mom, etc.) then everyone could have the satisfaction of sharing a talent and serving others, and the overachievers could potentially save themselves from burnout.  

So find something, just one thing to volunteer at this year regarding your children.  Your children will learn by your selfless example of how to give yourselves to others in a way, hopefully, that contributes to family unity.   This selfless drive will help your children become more rounded students and more aware of the life they’re learning to live in.  And all of us will benefit by the interesting, fun things adult volunteers can give to the community.

And now, with that all said, it’s time to get back to classroom planning.  It’s going to be a great year!