Back to the Books

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Then comes the groan and the terrible realization that this is actually not part of a dream, that it is the beginning of a very real nightmare: the first day of school. 

And once your fuzzy head figures that much out, you decide that that alarm is about the worst sound in the entire world. It's bad. Very bad.

But you already know that we hate the first day of school, that we dread it for weeks, that we try to pretend summer is everlasting, that we lie to you about when the first day is. You know all that. But Why? Why do we hate it so much? And How can you help us get through the year? Those are the questions!

Honestly, yes, we do hate school because of the work: the busy-work that bogs us down and doesn't teach us anything. We would much rather spend lazy days by the pool than glue a book to our forehead and a pencil to our hand. That's the simple answer.

But when you think about it, it makes sense. We can actually learn a lot more from our families, our peers, and our own travels and experiences, than we can from lessons in a classroom. Our minds expand far beyond white boards, why not let them? The stress and pressures that accompany school and the emphasis put on getting good grades so you can go to college and make lots of money puts kids in a bad and potentially dangerous "learning environment." For, how can anyone learn under those conditions?

But that's the system. The awful horrible system that's trying to create robots out of humans, perfect students, athletes, artists, and leaders all in one. So, what can you do, as a parent?

For those of you who have teens in high school (or even 8th grade), please do them and yourselves a favor. Go rent or look up or somehow find the movie Race to Nowhere. A mom, yes, a real life mother made a video about the difficulties of being a student in our corrupt society. Maybe it will empower you to talk to the school principal. Get a showing of it at your child's school. Or have a discussion group. Spread the word. Make an effort to reform the system. That will matter so much to your teen. But, at the very least, give your child a break sometimes. Give 'em a hug. Tell them that the bad grade they got on their math test isn't the most important thing in the world and that there may be extra credit. Let them know that you care about them, as a person, not just as a number, not as a GPA. Make sure that they know that their mental and emotional health is more important than getting that A+.

How else can you help relieve some stress and give them a more positive attitude towards school?
Make your teen plan at least one event per month (on the weekend) that he or she is really looking forward to attending. Give them something to look forward to so that they have a brighter look on the year instead of just seeing a pile of work.

Sorry that this back to school post ended up turning into an angry rant against the school systems, but I feel very strongly about this, and although it's almost too late for my class, it may not be for your child's. So put the emphasis on learning, not on grades. Because that's the most important thing.