To the Parents and Caretakers of the Class of 2031
This year, my
oldest son is about to embark on his 13-year adventure in the public-school
system. I feel excited, anxious, worried, happy and scared all at once. I guess
those are normal feelings for all parents but the one thing that I think about
is that I try to put myself in other parent’s shoes. Yes, I am a parent already
but when I teach my kid about manners, kindness and love. I am thinking about your
kids. I want to do my part to ensure that my kid isn’t the mean one at the school,
the regular bully. I teach him about defending himself as well and dealing with
other children who may badger him a little extra because he has certain
characteristics that may cause impatience within his peer group. I fear that he will
be overlooked, ignored, taken advantage of and mocked but I also fear he may do
the same to someone else. Every single day I encourage and remind him of his
role as a fellow human being. I teach him about not making fun of people,
especially out of revenge and anger. Not that any other type of teasing is not
bad, but certain levels are just out of a competitive nature and with that I
push him to be humble and give credit where credit is due. When he loses I want that fire that he feels to become the fuel to try harder and not to give up. I am counting on every parent and care giver out
there to pay attention to their child or children. To be aware of any negative
conduct and be aware of their challenges. They need guidance and supervision.
They need love and attention. If they ask you to read to them and you feel like
you are done and don’t have 5 minutes, remember that they will grow fast and
will start to spend less and less time with you. Show.More.Love. Appreciate
their character and their worth. Children can teach us so much about ourselves
and I am counting on you to keep those kids happy and positive. I will do the same.
I am not saying that all kids should just hold hands and sing along together. It’s okay to teach them to be tough and help
them cope with the variety of personalities on this earth. Just do not teach
them to be hateful individuals. You are their example. They see what you see.
They say what you say. They do what you do and they feel what you feel. What I am saying is that we have to set a positive
loving foundation, we should continue that journey with them. There are
children who may not have been so lucky and, in that case, it takes a village. Don’t
be embarrassed to ask for help if things get challenging with your kids. We
need to be more understanding of each other’s struggles with our kids. Life isn’t
rosy everywhere. Sometimes as parents we try it all but get nowhere. We should
all be open to helping out whenever possible to help those struggling parents. Even
if it is just giving a pat on the back or offering verbal support and empathy. Give
love and guidance, not nasty stares and judgement. When and where you can, lead by example and
encourage your kids to be cognizant of those children in need of more love,
more attention. Let’s challenge our kids not only to do well academically but also
do well socially. Encourage tolerance. Everyone is different in their own way
but in the end, we are all on this earth as human beings. So, parents and
caregivers of the class of 2031, lets all do this the right way and strive for
love, fun and happiness in what will be our kids most influential arena. Let’s be the parents who can truly help avoid tragedies and sadness. I am counting
on your support so that my little man, has positive experiences. I will do the
same for you with all my heart.
Sincerely,
Lorenzo’s Mommy