School Days, School Days

Summer is half over. I have seen school ads on the television and remember how our family scrimped and saved during July in order to pay for all those school books, supplies and clothes.

 

There was no extra spending on fun, groceries or trinkets. No matter how my kids begged, there just wasn’t the money. Back when my kids were in school, the price of a lunch was 50 cents and then worked up to tops of 75 cents.

 

Now I hear prices are over a dollar and they have snack machines and a much better variety of lunches offered. This is a good thing but i have to ponder on those that can’t afford to buy those lunches who may have two or three kids to feed.

 

I don’t remember me ever taking a sack lunch to school. I always ate in the cafeteria. In face, I remember what it was to receive a brown bag lunch when I went to the circus in the third grade. Opening it up and finding a sandwich and a cookie was so much fun.

 

I went to the Goodwill store a few days ago and I saw quite a few moms with kids and they were definitely clothing shopping. I remembered my days when I heard those older kids tell the mom they didn’t like what mom was picking it out. At the age of being a teen, my thought was the same as my mom’s thoughts. Don’t like what i am buying? Get a part-time job and that way you can buy what you choose.

 

With all the bullying that goes on at schools and in-room classes and on the buses, it makes me very glad I went to school when I did.

 

Of course there were those that picked on other kids, but the thought of hearing, “Jimmy, sit down in your seat or I am going to follow you right to the office and then I am going to call your parents,” scared those little pickers enough, that they behaved.

 

Why is it today that kids feel they do not need to respect or obey their elders? I didn’t get by with even voicing my opinions. It was considered mouthing off and I got in trouble for it.

 

I’m not saying kids shouldn’t have an opinion and voice it. I think I should have also. After all, how are parents supposed to get to know their children as they develop into their personalities. The difference though is, kids should be allowed to voice their thoughts but respect their parents enough to realize that the parents final decision is nothing more than final decision.

 

Nope, I don’t envy my children getting their kids ready for school and those teen years arriving sooner and sooner. I am not so old that I don’t remember that parenting day or how I tried to get my own way.

 

Good luck parents. School is almost here.