Conferences

Yesterday we had our first parent-teacher conferences. Beth and I were both able to go, and the neighbors watched the boys for us. Everything went well. She said Anders is doing great, is trustworthy--she can send him on an errand with a friend and count on him going straight there and back, and is a meticulous student. It was pretty much what we hoped to hear--though we weren't entirely sure how his behavior would be all the time at school. So it was a good report.

One of the things I like about the school is that they expect parents to be a part of the child's education (hmm, what a novel idea). The teach wrote down goals that she expects to achieve with Anders and had us come up with a set to work on at home. School should never become a dropping off place where we expect our job as parents to be finished. Education can't be solely in the teacher's hands (nor should we want it to be).

I know we can't all be involved in the schools or parent-teacher organizations, but we should all be involved with our children. Some people work extended hours to try and make life better for their children--and I understand the motivation - being a stay-at-home parent has been a big sacrifice for us financially--but we will never better the lives of our children if we are not a part of them. All we can do then is add more stuff to their lives. And stuff seldom has an impact that enhances. Quality time, as cliche as it has become at times, is the greatest gift we can give our children. It is also their greatest need from us.

PS. As you're going into parent-teacher conferences at your child's school, remember to thank them and not berate them. Yes, there may be some who are not doing their best or not understanding your child's specific needs, but all put in long hours of hard work (I've been on that side of the education system before). Don't hesitate to speak to your child's needs and your concerns, but make sure the teacher goes away with an acknowlegement of the appreciation you have for their work with your child.