Guest opinion
Take time to get involved at school
By Caroline Neeley Special to the Acorn
As the new school year kicks off, anticipation reaches an all-time high, certainly in the glowing eyes of the brand-new kindergartners who have waited patiently to attend "big" school.

A few tears of happiness run down the cheeks of anxious moms only to solidify and remind us that our babies are growing up.

Watching these young ones walk into their first day of elementary school puts me one step closer to realizing that if I want a good education for both my children, I must be a participating parent.

Participating parents' work needs to carry all through their children's school years. Involvement at any level, big or small, helps to show your students that you care not only about their education but about their school too.

Children love to see a parent involved, whether it's in the classroom, on the playground, in the snack bar, stuffing envelopes or even working the phone tree.

Parental involvement to a child is as good as allowing them to munch on their favorite snack instead of eating their fruits and vegetables.

I know everyone is busy and has more things to do than hours in the day. May I remind you of the conversation you had on the phone this morning with your friend about where to meet for coffee or lunch?

The manicure and pedicure that you scheduled could be time spent in your child's classroom. Skip a nail appointment or pass on lunch once in a while.

Find a neighbor or friend you can share baby-sitting with if you have younger children.

The point is, the extra encouragement and support you give your children at school travels further than you think.

As our children grow older, steer them in a direction of success. Everyone wants their child to succeed and make something of themselves. When children are loved, supported and encouraged, they can become anything they want to be.

They will follow your lead, and you must lead by example. Teach them self-respect and dignity, to speak proper English and that wearing pants down around their crack makes them look like a penguin. Dads, teach your daughters that wearing low-cut tops, short skirts and low-cut jeans that reveal their underwear, or lack thereof, only attracts the less-than-desirables.

If you demand respect be prepared to give it. But in order to give it, you must respect yourself first.

Children are a precious commodity; they need nurturing, direction, discipline and confidence, and that can only come from a source rich in vitamins and minerals also known as love.

The people who should receive the privilege of administering the vitamins and minerals is you . . . their parents.

I look at children's behavior the same way domestic animals behave, and that is, love them and feed them, and they will always come back for more.

Oh, I almost forgot, please remind your children to be respectful to their teachers and that the words "please" and "thank you" still exist in the English language.

Caroline Neeley is a conflict resolution and anger management counselor and comedic motivational speaker