We all recall our back-to-school jitters after spending a summer doing about as much as a sloth in a chess tournament.
We worried so much that the butterflies in our stomach kept us awake half the night fretting about the first day of school.
Knowing our luck, we never got our favourite teacher, and the girl we had a crush on all summer was sitting next to a Justin Bieber look-alike who already asked her to the school dance.
Doh! You snooze, you lose.
If only we put the same amount of effort into our school work as we did chasing girls (or boys), then we’d be straight A students.
Of course, school isn’t what it used to be. It’s all high tech now with instant messaging and video at our fingertips. In fact, even the bullies have jumped on the bandwagon – too lazy to throw punches anymore, so they do it in cyberspace, which can have far worse effects.
There is too much anxiety among students today; the pressure to succeed and be “normal” is astronomical, and these kids lose sight of their individuality, which is what truly makes them special. But try convincing them of that.
Our children have to stop comparing themselves to others and stop allowing society to dictate how they should look and act.
Sadly, our children are being brainwashed by so much materialism and smut on television and Youtube.
Parents really have to be cognizant of what their kids are accessing online, and put a limit on this extremely addictive (and damaging) pastime.
Children can get so lost in this electronic age that they don’t feel like doing anything constructive or imaginative. Ask them to go outside and play and they look at you like the world is coming to an end.
As parents, we sometimes forget the stress that kids experience going back to school. Society is forcing our children to grow up way too fast, and social media is taking over their lives. And our daughters are putting make-up on at age 11? Arghh! Is there no end to this madness?
Do we continue to fight it or just let the inevitable happen?
School life was so uncomplicated back in the day. You got teased for the pants you were wearing, but you got over it. You got bullied for looking at someone the wrong way, but you got over it.
Sadly, it’s not that simple today.
But if we teach our kids how to be resilient, confident and a little courageous, they’ll have a fighting chance to succeed.
By Lyonel Doherty, editor
