When you came home from school during your childhood, chances are your mother or father asked you how your day was and how much homework you had to do. They probably let you go outside to play for awhile before calling you back inside for dinner at the table with the rest of the family. But today many young people are “latch-key children,” heating up meals in the microwave and keeping themselves busy with computer games or various forms of social media — and home alone.
And while the dynamics of home life have changed a lot from one or two generations ago, there is still something that needs to remain the same — parental involvement and supervision in our children’s lives. Sometimes this can be a challenge, particularly for single parents who are raising their children by themselves and working at the same time. Well, life is often not only tough but often unfair. What happens to a child as they move from daycare to high school is the result of how much, or how little, a parent involves themselves in their children’s lives. Parents matter.
Do you know what classes they are taking and how they are doing? What is their upcoming schedule for examinations, reports or special projects? Do all of their teachers know you and do you know their teachers by name? When was the last time you visited the school, unannounced, to check on your child’s progress? Do you have a quiet place reserved at home so they can study, without the distractions of television or noisy siblings?
Blacks often complain about how public education tends to ignore the needs of our children. But before we start pointing fingers, perhaps we need to examine our own game plan. All children can learn — but they need encouragement and sometimes a voice of reason pushing them along. If not their parents then whom?
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