School buses…Backpacks..and TRAFFIC! Oh my!! It’s that time of year again. Yes! Back-to-school time. Always a bittersweet moment for me. Yay!!! This means more structure and for lack of a better word…”order” in the house. Boo!!! For the homework woes and my husband and I realizing that neither one of is “smarter than a fifth grader”. From a sentimental mommy perspective, it means that my babies are another year older and that makes me a little misty. Because these things are inevitable, we know that we have only one choice and that is to nurture and foster the best environment for our children to succeed!
Before each school year, my husband and I always assess and tweak our home environment to make it most conducive for the children to concentrate while at home. We always reference Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu because of his dedication to helping and transforming the education of our young children, especially the boys. His reasearch has helped us tremendously with our son. He once stated:
“I believe that I can go into your house and within 5 minutes tell you the type of student who lives there and predict his/her future. I believe that the items needed in the home of engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants etc., are very different from the ballplayers, rappers, and criminals. I am very concerned that when I visit a house that has more CDs and downloads than books.”
Simple yet profound.
But, I both agree and disagree with that statement. Literally speaking, in the days of e-books and e-readers, the number of actual books may be starting to dwindle or even become stagnant. But, from a theoretical standpoint, I couldn’t agree more. We, personally, don’t have to worry that our home resembles that of a rapper or a criminal. But from experience, I know that your child’s environment at home is just as important as any other aspect when shaping them and priming them for optimal education.
In order to ensure that your child/home is in “school-year” shape, we need to make sure that we are too! Robert Fulghum quoted,
“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”
So, turn off the TV and grab your books, e-readers and magazines and start leading by example!
I have a few questions for you.
- Do your children do homework at the kitchen table or lying across the bed, making homework/school work appear as an afterthought?
- Does your child do their work at a desk that is well-lit, free of clutter and not straining their eyes and neck, allowing them to maximize their concentration?
- Does your child know where they put their pencils, protractor, or homework assignment at any given time reflecting a sense of organization?
I know the latter question may seem like a lot to ask of a school-aged child, but with proper preparation and practice of organization skills, it will become an awesome habit that should follow them throughout their lives. Making sure that you are organized, excited and committed will ensure that they will be too!
BMWK, is your home “school-year ready” and reflective of the future you want for your child(ren)?
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