By Amanda Grossman-Scott
Your child may be well-supplied for the school year, and good for you! Perhaps after a few discussions with your child and with his or her school, your child will be prepared to get a good education this year as well.
Last year my family made a big geographical move. When it was time to start school we did all of the usual back to school clothing and supply shopping. After our shopping was complete, my eldest child looked suddenly panic-stricken and asked, “What if everything is different here? What does my school look like? What if the rules are different?” I had done all the normal preparation for back to school but hadn’t really addressed the actual school part of it. I hadn’t even really checked into their new school enough to answer any questions about it.
After all of your back to school shopping is done and your child’s physical needs are taken care of, do you take the time to address his educational needs for the upcoming year? Do you know everything there is to know about your school, district, and its policies?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions at your school. Questions about dress code, mobile electronics, and sexual education instruction are of particular interest and you have a right to know about all of these policies, as they will have an effect on your child’s everyday school experience.
- What is your school’s dress code policy? This may be one to discuss before you’ve done your back to school shopping. Explaining to your son that he can’t wear his favorite flip flops to school because his toes are exposed and he may trip is easy. Discussing the length of your daughter’s shorts or just how much shoulder is “too much” is another thing. It can get complicated. When your kids are young, it’s easy to blame the school rules, but do you have your own opinions about your child’s clothes? Take this opportunity to discuss your personal standard of dress. Like, what’s an okay expression for a kid to wear on a t-shirt and what’s not. Or what’s acceptable for a grown woman to wear but not for a young girl.
- What is your school’s personal electronics device policy? Many schools have a “no cell phones” policy. But most schools also turn a blind eye to many students’ use of them, sort of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” for phones. Will your child have a phone at school? Have you installed parental controls on that phone and do you ask him or her to turn it in each night? If the phone is in your home, you should have complete access and control over it. Cellphonesafety.com is a helpful site for explaining how to set restrictions on your child’s phone. But the fact is, most parents take the phone right out of the package and hand it to their child. Ask about your school’s devices policy and make sure your children are prepared for what they may see. Read Preparing Your Child for Pornography Exposure and 8 Ways to Start Talking to Your Child About Sex to help prepare your child.
- What is your school’s sex education curriculum? What is covered and at what age? How will a teacher handle it if a student has a question or if an incident occurs? Some teachers of upper elementary-age students choose to ignore the more tame sexual innuendos or expressions they hear in the classroom because they are completely inundated with them! But you as a parent should make time to ask your child what kinds of things they are hearing and seeing in the classroom. Consider talking to your kids about sex before schools starts. Read Summer Time and the Sex Talks Are Easy.
Your child may be well-supplied for the school year, and good for you! Perhaps after a few discussions with your child and with his or her school, your child will be prepared to get the right kind of education this year as well.
Our books have many great conversation starters, and they can help you improve communication between you and your children. Check them out! ; How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography, which is also available in ; and .
Need Help with Tough Topics? We got you covered!Amanda Grossman-Scott is Board Vice president and Head Writer for Educate and Empower Kids. She has written for various magazines, newspapers and blogs and has been active in the journalism industry intermittently for the last 15 years. She studied Journalism and Communications at Utah Valley University. Amanda is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and now lives with her husband and four children in San Antonio, Texas..
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Blocking porn. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2014, from http://www.cellphonesafety.co.za/blocking-porn.html
