The other day I came across a quote by Victor Hugo. “He who opens a school door, closes a prison”. Wow! How powerful is that?
I started thinking about the quote and reflected on my time as a school secretary. In retrospect, I personally experienced what Victor Hugo is referring to. It’s a well-known fact that kids need a framework in their lives in order to feel secure and anchored in this great big world.
A framework is built in many ways. It’s the consistency of rules at home. Although just because a rule is set in place doesn’t necessarily mean that your child will automatically follow it. It’s my premise that kids will push the boundary of a rule just to make sure that someone else is in charge.
If someone else is in charge the tether anchoring your child in place is strengthened and he is assured that someone is looking out for him. Of course, your child may not even be aware of this subtle reason for pushing the boundary. And it may not be the only reason. He may be trying to establish his independence or might just be feeling ornery that day.
Whatever the reason for boundary pushing, the important thing here is consistency. If you have a rule in your home that says homework must be completed before any screen time, you need to enforce that every day with few exceptions. The same for the other rules in your household. Set reasonable guidelines and stick with them except in rare instances. Your child will feel more secure for it.
Another important facet of a strong framework for your child’s life is education. Whether you home school your child or he attends public or private school, the learning environment is rich with opportunities to reinforce your child’s sense of security.
As I mentioned previously, I experienced this often over my years working in an elementary school. And this is where the above quote from Victor Hugo comes into play. Kids who have the support of teachers, administration and strong academic programs statistically are less troubled than those who don’t.
The results of a 2011 University of Florida study show the need for a strong academic environment. So how can you help assure that your child is spending his school day in an environment that values learning and has supports in place for struggling learners?
The number one way you can help is by being involved at your child’s school. However, while in an ideal world we would all have time to commit to helping out at school, in our real worlds this is often difficult to accomplish.
If you find yourself wanting to do more but have limited time available, get creative. Maybe you can arrange to start work an hour earlier one day a week. Getting off an hour early that day would allow you to spend that time helping your child’s teacher stuff take-home folders.
The mere fact of having parents involved in any way makes a stronger school community. It’s amazing how that strength builds and grows almost taking on a life of its own. When that starts to happen the students will find themselves surrounded by a village that wants to see them succeed.
For other suggestions on how to help your child be successful in school check out this great list at Colorin Colorado. You’ll find that many of these ideas not only help your child, but will help his school, as well.
Troubled kids, struggling learners and other at-risk kids can all benefit from a network of caring adults. Once again, this is a necessary component of a strong framework that provides stability for kids. And before and after-school programs at your child’s school can add to that network.
There are numerous studies that show after-school programs can help keep kids out of trouble. By
providing a safe, supportive environment that serves as a gap between school dismissal and a parent arriving home after work, the opportunities for a child to get into trouble shrink dramatically.
A strong after-school program provides a sense of community for the kids who attend and can also strengthen the home-school connection for working families.
Funding is always an issue for before and after-school programs so this may be another way for you to be involved in supporting your child’s school. Writing letters to legislators requesting funding and clearly stating the need can be accomplished in the evening after the kids are in bed. It’s a good way to become part of the village of supporters at your child’s school.
In summary, strong schools can provide a lifeline to kids by:
- · Giving structure to the life of a children, especially those at risk
- · Teaching tolerance and inclusion
- · Providing caring adults who interact daily and often with students
- · Implementing a strong anti-bullying, zero-tolerance environment
- · Instilling a commitment to volunteerism in their students
- · Promoting healthy lifestyles through a strong physical education program
And the list goes on. Any school or educator that strives to build a framework based on these ideas is certainly proving the truth in Victor Hugo’s statement, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison”.
Here’s to strong schools with healthy, happy students! Hope you have a great week.
Cathie
