Wherever you live, there is something you need to do to prepare your child at any age for school.
When we think about sending a child to school, we usually think about school supplies, clothes, and a reading list. But there is one thing we all need to remember before our child goes off to school, from kindergarten to college.
Have you ever talked with your child about vigilance, about noticing what is going on around him? Or about always being kind to others?
Every parent needs to talk with every child about these two things. Why?
- Violence in schools has been happening more and more often, 288 school shootings have occurred since 2009.
- Perpetrators of violence are usually loners or kids who have been bullied or who feel very angry.
- People who are angry or feel bullied cannot help but voice their feelings. Their words indicate they do not value their own life or the lives of others.
If every child listened to the words spoken around him at school and reported to a trusted staff member when a classmate seems to be having problems, the guidance counselor could intervene. Helping a child before he takes a gun to school and kills someone would improve everyone’s safety.
If children were kind to others, especially to those who others treated unkindly, schools might be safer also. Your child does not have to be the best friend of a child who is struggling emotionally, but any kindness your child offered might help this struggling classmate to feel better about his life.
Parenting is the hardest job in the world. Now, in addition to teaching children to work hard and be healthy, we need to teach them to be safe at school. And even if you live in a very safe community like we do, it is wise to remember that violence is always possible.
Have you talked with your child yet about these two important issues?
Wherever you live, it is a good idea to do this today.
Let the encouraging words in these near a river posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
Yes, you can enable your child to pay attention in class.
How can you expect only the best from your child?
Please think twice before getting this…
Never forget “the GIGO rule”!
