5 Back to School Tips For Parents

Rejoice parents!! Your children are about to go back to school. Yes, the three longest months of the year are coming to an end, and you're doing everything in your power to contain your excitement.

You may have had back to school planned since the beginning of July.  You bought school supplies the minute they showed up in the stores, you have all of the first day outfits picked out, and you've stashed the case of wine you're going to use to celebrate on the big day.  I understand that it's a time when you're so excited about the kids being out of your hair, you don't want to think about much else.

Thankfully, I'm here to give you a few tips (from a teacher) about things you may not have thought of...

1.  Attend any back to school events or open house

Many schools offer a back to school event or open house so that you have a chance to meet the teacher your child is going to have, this year.  Your kids might be a little uneasy about which teacher they're going to have, so open houses give your kids a chance to knock out some of the anxiety.  They'll know where their classroom is, where they'll sit, and what they need to do when they arrive on the first day.  Plus, teachers really like to meet YOU.  

Tip from the teacher:  Teachers want to meet you, so they can get some insight on your child.  It's a great way of showing your child, and the teacher, that you care about meeting the teacher and hearing a little about what's in store for the school year.

2.  Ask lots of questions

Open House is a great time to ask your child's teacher any questions you may have.  This is a great time to ask what kind of learning is going to take place, what are the expectations on homework, what should you be looking out for in backpacks, how you get a hold of the teacher, and what are the teacher's expectations from your child.  It's also a great time to give your child's teacher some information on any issues or concerns you might have.  If you can't make it, give your child's teacher a call.  They are usually more than happy to set up a different time to meet with you.  

Tip from the teacher:  Don't feel worried about sharing concerns with a teacher.  They're not going to judge you if little Timmy has a hard time sitting still, or Timmy doesn't get along well with Lucy.  They NEED to know this information to ensure your child is comfortable in the classroom.  

3.  Have a talk about first day expectations

You've bought all the supplies, you've got their bags packed, you've met the teacher at Open House, and your sweet angel is just about ready.   Now it's time to have a little discussion about back to school expectations.  Gone are the nights staying up playing Fortnite, sleeping in until noon, and eating whenever and wherever they want.  After 3 months of being at home, it's time to remind your child that life is going to be a little different.  Make sure they go to bed a little earlier, and get up a little earlier.  Talk to your child about listening, following directions, and making a good impression.  Show them that you respect and trust the person that will be caring for your child while they're at school.  

Tip from the teacher:  By meeting the teacher, you've shown your child that you've made contact and that you can be reached easily, if needed.  Encourage your child to have fun, pay attention, and listen to the teacher.  If you ever have a complaint or concern, make sure you reach out to the teacher or principal instead of complaining to the child. 

4.  Find out about drop off and pick up procedures

The first day is always a busy time for drop off and pick up.  Many parents want to deliver their children and pick them up on the first day, even though the kids will ride the bus the rest of the year.  While that's perfectly OK, try to obey the drop off and pick up procedures.  There's really nothing worse, or more frustrating, than getting behind a car in the PICK UP LINE, when the parent parks and goes into the school.  The pick up line is for children who's parents are going to stay in the car and pick their kids up from a designated space.  If you're going into the school, park in the parking lot.  

Tip from the teacher:  As much as we know you want to walk Little Timmy to his classroom on the first day, it makes things so much more chaotic and cluttered when there are 200 parents shuffling through the hallways.  If it's NOT Timmy or Lucy's first time at the school, they know where everything is and they can get to their classroom.  You really don't need to walk your child to their classroom, that's what Open House was for, so they should know where to go.

5.  Avoid the "how was your day" question

The most common question a parent will ask their child on the first day of school was, "how was your day?".  The response is usually, "fine", or "OK".  And that concludes the first day of school discussion.  Instead of asking how their day was, trying asking questions they actually have to answer.  Here's a list of questions you can ask your child each day, that will actually give you some insight to how their day really went:

• What did you do in your classes?
• Who did you sit with at lunch?
• What did you play at recess?
• What is one thing you learned today?
• What was one thing you didn't like about your day?

Don't let your child respond with answers such as, "nothing" or "no one".  Probe them for information.  This is your chance to find out what's going on while they're at school.  Sometimes, you'll find out about a situation that needs to be addressed or you'll be able to gauge how your child is feeling about school.  

Tip from the teacher:  If your child is reluctant to talk about school, bring it to the teacher's attention.  When the teacher has 20-80 students a day, they often don't immediately pick up if little Lucy isn't making friends or is struggling with a subject.  

That's it!! Your back to school tips, from a teacher to a parent.  This is the time to show your child that their education is important, and you support them getting a good education.  A child's thoughts and attitude towards school often comes from their parents view of the school.  If you want your child to have a great year, be involved, encourage them, and talk to them.  And don't forget, your child's teacher is available and willing to talk to you about ANY concern or question you have.

Have a great school year!

Going Viral is Going CRAZY!

As I'm writing these very words, I'm watching CBS News and their coverage on the "Kiki Challenge".  People jumping out of a MOVING vehicle to perform a dance while being recorded.  I've watched this same story topic for over a week, now.  Apparently there's nothing exciting going on in our country that they have to report on viral video challenges.  Every day, they share how funny some of the videos are, or they talk about how dangerous some of the videos are.  People have posted videos of themselves jumping out of a car and falling, slamming into poles, and one girl is now in intensive care because of this "viral challenge".  

Yesterday, while watching The Talk, they discussed a YouTube dad who fed his children laxatives in order to get his video to go viral.  The children are shown crying in pain due to the stomach cramps the laxatives gave them.  What the heck is wrong with people?  They are willing to harm their own children to get some subscribers and likes on their YouTube channel?  How do they not realize the backlash something like that would cause?  Do they care?  

Also yesterday, I posted a video on my own Facebook that was circling around of a small child mouthing her daycare worker for being in time-out.  When I say mouthing, I mean the most disrespectful, unbelievable mouthing I could even fathom coming out of a 4 year old's mouth.  

People are sharing this video and think it's FUNNY.  Are you kidding me?  This is NOT funny.  This is downright disgusting, and I'd have a solid butt whooping in store for my child if she EVER spoke to someone like that.  And then I wonder why my colleagues and I are shocked at some of the disrespectful behavior we see from our students.
Is this what our world has come to?  People doing anything and everything to get their 15 minutes of fame?  Putting their lives in danger, torturing their kids, and laughing when their children are downright rude and disrespectful?  Is it any wonder why we have the problems in this country that we have?
I am shocked and appalled at how many videos I see of brutal fights, people being gunned down, animals tortured, and what do people do?  They record it on their cell phones.  Nobody steps in, nobody tries to help, they just want to capture it on video so they can post it to Facebook.
You know what I chalk it up to?  Fast fame and fast money.  We have become a society that are doing anything and everything we can to make a quick buck.  Kids are OBSESSED with YouTube, and they truly believe they can become instant millionaires by starting a YouTube page.  Then, they discover it's a little harder than they expected, so they are trying drastic measures to beat the competition and get some quick likes (money) to their YouTube page.
I have been amazed at how many kids have told me, in the past couple of years, that education really isn't that important because they're going to be YouTubers when they're older.  They have told me, straight to my face, "You don't need an education to make money on YouTube".  
I'm starting to feel like it's not just my students that need some education, but maybe some parents that need some education as to where this mentality is heading for their little angels.  
I'm not trying to bash any parent that allows their kids to use social media, but there HAS to be some education and structure when allowing children to utilize technology that can have some seriously dangerous effects.  Allowing your child to spend every waking moment on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, or YouTube really is corrupting their minds.  
I teach reading and writing.  Two subjects I feel are becoming completely obsolete to children who tell me they don't read because they watch YouTube videos, and can't write because they're all about text lingo.  I've had parents tell me their children don't need to learn how to spell, because their devices can do that for them.  I've had parents tell me that it's not worth making my students read books, because they do plenty of reading on Facebook.  Seriously?  You want your child's reading skills to come from Facebook?
What scares me more than anything is the increasingly popular video challenges.  Eating tide pods, trying to swallow powered cinnamon, suffocating each other until they pass out, and now jumping out of cars to perform a dance.  Parents, I can't emphasis enough the dangers that are associated with these types of challenges.  Kids are dying or becoming seriously injured.  Don't wait until your child tries one of these stupid stunts to claim you didn't have any idea your child would participate in such a silly challenge.  Don't be shocked when your kid seriously hurts themselves because you assume they're smarter than that.  Peer pressure is real, and it appears, more serious than EVER.
It's now time to talk to your children about the dangers of these videos.  It's time to tell them that the 15 minutes of fame they may or may not receive just isn't worth it.  It's time to monitor your child's device usage!  Don't ever think your child would do something as stupid.. cause I've got news for you.  They will.
Something else to discuss with them?  How pulling out a cell phone when a fight breaks out or a person is being severely bullied is NOT the correct way to handle themselves in that situation.  Teach them how important it is to step in, if they can, or go for help.  Do SOMETHING to help the situation, instead of worrying about whether they can get the best video.  
I am so happy that our school district is now handing out HARSH punishments for kids who are videoing stuff like fights and bullying.  I'm devastated about having to admit that students, as young as 7th grade, have been suspended for sharing nude pics, posting photos on their Facebooks with alcohol or guns, or sharing fights they've recorded on their cellphones.  We've had to impose a "no device" rule during school hours, just to keep students focused on their school work.  
My school district is trying to do what they can, but just like any other serious issue like this, the first step needs to be taken at home!
While many parents have a dream that their child will grow up and make a name for themselves, having a child that will do ANYTHING to get a little fame on the internet isn't the best way to go.  Don't let your child's name be remembered as the kid who ended up dead because they competed in some stupid viral challenge, in jail because they posted a video of themselves beating someone senseless, or recognized as being the person who spews hate and bullying about a particular type of people.
It's one thing when you post a video of your child doing an amazing act of kindness, your animal doing the cutest behavior, or someone actually stepping in and being a hero.  Those videos are AWESOME, and I wish there were kindness challenge to take the place of some of the moronic challenges that are now swimming around.
Actually, that's not a bad idea.  Parents, please feel free to talk your kids into starting a kindness kraze challenge.  Challenge them to do something nice for a complete stranger, a kid who's lonely at school, or the elderly neighbor that has a hard time getting around.  Record that kind of stuff.  I would be much happier seeing my Facebook feed and the news explode with THAT challenge.  
At the end of the day, I'm just shocked and appalled at the lengths people will go to in order to go viral.  Have some common sense.  Parents, teach your children some common sense.  Adults, have some common sense and remember that kids are watching you.  Real, true fame takes hard work, it takes education, and it takes common sense.  And that's my public service announcement for today.

Rant Over!