What Every Parent Needs To Know and What Their Kids Won't Tell Them
What You Should Know and What Your Child Won't Tell You About School
1. Those school supplies you spent a fortune on in August and that you thought were plentiful have a tendency to run out eventually. Remind your child that he must replenish the looseleaf paper and other supplies that have gone missing in action. Too many parents spend so much time and money preparing their child for the celebratory beginning of the school year, but they forget that middle and end of the school year need some attention too.
2. Somebody's child is the bully on the playground and in cyber space. Is she yours? Talk about it. Read books and watch movies about bullying and do everything you can to make sure your child is not a perpetrator of violence. 3. Your Brag Book for your offspring has no room for accolades like the trashiest mouth at school. Potty mouths are found on some lovely kids who have been raised by polite, charming parents. Teach your child that gutter talk is inappropriate. 4. Is that your child with his tongue down somebody's throat between periods and at recess? Nobody wants to see those 'get a room' kids in action. 5. Is your child a poster child for what not to wear to school? Exposed boxers and thongs may possibly look stylish at home, but at school, they're trashy. Encourage your child to allow exposed body parts and underwear to go the way of the Hummer. Extinct or almost.
Who are those girls changing their clothes as soon as they arrive at school? Guarantee that it isn’t your sweet daughter leaving the house dressed appropriately and then strutting down the halls half-dressed. 6. This one should give you the jitters. Do you know what personal pictures your child is posting on MySpace, Facebook or other social networking sites? Take the time to find out. Read their profiles. A lot has been said about cyber safety but are kids, who think they're invincible, really listening? And don't worry about being invasive. You'd be surprised to discover what young girls are doing with their web cams. What's your web cam recording? 7. Unfortunately, school corridors sometimes function as large trash bins. Somebody's child is dumping garbage in the halls so remind yours that littering is unacceptable. 8. Do you know what happens to the the lunch and healthy snacks you so lovingly packed last night? Too many students are ditching their lunches. Is yours? 9. Bus behaviour can be outrageous and dangerous. It's a hard knock life on school busses today. Is your child safe? How many students on his bus have received bus tickets for inappropriate conduct? 10. What about the bystanders who cheer on a fight at school? Teach your children well and make sure they're not a part of this enthusiastic,blood-thirsty crowd. Statistics on bullying reveal that if bystanders would be proactive, bullying would stop almost immediately. Teach your child that bystander apathy encourages bullying. What Not to Say to Teachers and Administrators 1. Is there a personality conflict? Oh, for goodness sakes! This isn't about two children playing in a sandbox! We're talking about a grown-up and a child. Discipline problems do not automatically mean that there is a personality conflict. Frequently, it simply reveals that the student has been reprimanded for a small classroom infraction. 2. I know my child's version. What's yours? Now, this might be the quickest way to antagonize teachers. Generally, there's the truth and the child's version which is shaped by fear, immaturity, or lack of awareness. Be diplomatic. 3. I know he didn't plagiarize the poem because I saw him writing it. If I only had a loonie for each time I've found a plagiarized poem on the Internet accompanied by an upset parent who guarantees that the work is original. 4. She's never had trouble in school before your class, this year. While this may be true for some, generally the student's academic file, which isn't a cold case file, describes past lives in great detail. Your sharing of past experiences can only help, not hinder. 5. I thought I'd just drop by at lunch to talk to you about Johnny. Think again. Reservation required! Please make an appointment to meet with administrators or teachers. These strategies and techniques will lead your child toward excellence. It's a sad fact that too many children have parents who have prematurely walked out of their childhood and as a result, throwaway children populate our classrooms. Be there for your child. Do your homework, not your child’s, for the new school year.