Parent Teacher Organization

Writen by Bob Roach

The real deal is real simple. Your children will be having an open house at their school. It will likely come in the first week of school. To go or not to go ... that is the question.

As a concerned parent and teacher I would like to share some ideas that will encourage you to do the right thing. Go to your childs' P.T.O. meeting. It may be called an open house but it is all the same. It is very important that you attend.

Your childs' school will be getting ready for the open house and will receive you with open arms. It is very important that you attend the first open house. The open house will give you an opportunity to get to know the teachers and support staff that will be working with your most prized possession. It will also get them a chance to meet you and realize that you are a concerned parent. Think about this... it would be nice if the first time you met teachers and the principal is a positive meeting. Don't let the first meeting be a time when your child has made a bad decision.

Not only is it important to start of on a positive note, but there is a great chance that your childs' school needs your help. The P.T.O. is a very valuable and important organization in our schools. Each and every parent should attend the first meeting so that they can join the P.T.O. and decide how they will participate as a member. Parents are needed to actually hold offices in the organization. A president, vice president, secretary and treasurer will be key components to the success of the organization and ultimately to the part they play in the every day functions of the school.

If an officer is not where your talent lies then you may need to sign up to be a volunteer. When you are put on the list it makes you eligible to make a difference in your childs' school. Some of the areas that need volunteers are: Making pop corn at the ball game, helping with field trips, helping with field days, chaperoning dances or academic field trips. While this list is not all inclusive, it certainly should express the need for volunteers in the P.T.O.

I encourage you to be a responsible parent and do all that you can to be an active participant in your childs' education. Being active in the P.T.O. and attending that first open house are rewarding steps that will be helpful to you, your child, and the school they attend. Do not miss out on the opportunity to be a parent that can make a difference.

Bob Roach Father of one and middle school teacher of literally thousands over the past thirty years. To find out more parenting tipswrite me at: rproach@yahoo.com

Life Is Short Tragedy Reminds Us What Matters Most

Writen by Bret Woffinden

We had a recent tragedy in our extended family. Our relative was up in the mountains driving with his wife and baby daughter. They passed another vehicle and hit a semi head on. The entire family was killed instantly. For them, life was too short.

Very sad. A real tragedy.

However, everything that we experience in this life teaches us something - perhaps many things. Sometimes such a tragedy can remind us what matters most in life.

We never know when we are going to go. We hear all the time that we should plan for the future, think long term, and be patient. This is all true, but don't forget about the here and now. Yes, plan for the future as if you will be here to see it. But fully enjoy each and every moment you spend here as if it will be your last.

Do you feel like you are focusing on what is most important? There are thousands of little choices we make each day. We can choose to watch TV, or we can read a book as a family. We can get upset and yell at the kids about mud on the carpet, or we can clean it up together. We can buy junk food at the store or we can plant a garden.

Everyone makes a difference in the world. Parents make a bigger difference because their influence lasts two, three, and perhaps more generations.

When you are deciding what matters most, look at the big picture. Take a step back and ask yourself if your daily actions over the past 3 years have gotten you and your family where you had hoped. If so, keep it up and adjust as needed. If not, what could you change now, so that the next 3 years will be better?

Ask yourself the following questions. How do I want to be remembered by family and friends? If I died right now, would I be remembered that way? Have I accomplished my purpose or calling in life? What big or small changes need to happen in my life so that I will be ready to meet my maker?

Bret and Sharie are freedom fighters for family values. Through study and their own experience, they have found the key elements that bond a family forever. http://www.FamilyExcellence.net

Solutions For A Rebellious Child

Writen by Denise Boggs

This is a question that thousands of parents face every day. There are many solutions to this problem; some have proven to be successful, and others have not. As a Christian writer and mother of three children, I will share one option that really works; (it worked in our home) therefore it is not a theory, it is a proven solution to the problem of rebellion. I had to learn these lessons the hard way, but thankfully I learned them in time to take care of the rebellion problem while my children were young.

When and where does rebellion start?

Rebellion in the home starts slowly but gains momentum as it continues. Like a snowball, it first starts with a handful of snow; but as it rolls down the hill, that innocent little ball of snow gets bigger and bigger. You may be looking at a child that is rebellious and you are wondering how this happened when just yesterday she/he seemed to be so good. It wasn't just since yesterday; rebellion takes place over time. The rebellious actions and attitudes may not have been referred to as rebellion until they got out of hand and so big everyone is affected.

With your child, think for a minute… when did the rebellion start? I will use the Cute Puppy story to help you pinpoint when it may have started.

The Cute Puppy

Place yourself as the mom in this story: Once upon a time there was a stray puppy that came to your door, and because he was so cute you fed him. The next day this cute puppy, with sad eyes, comes to the door and this time you let your children feed him. The third day the cute puppy doesn't look so sad anymore - he is now wagging his tail because he knows he has found a friend. The fourth day you feed the cute puppy and let him inside for a nap.

One small thing had been overlooked - the family rule of "no pets in the house." Your husband had requested that the family set this rule after a new sofa had to be bought because the old one had been soiled by the family dog. The dog had since died, but the rule had been forgotten. The fifth day the cute puppy comes to the door wagging his tail and this time you let him come in to eat, take a nap, and play awhile. After all he is so cute and the kids are having so much fun… what could be wrong with having him in for a little while? After an hour or so you say, "We need to take the puppy outside before your father comes home." "Oh Mom," the kids cry, "let him stay in just a little longer; he is so cute and we are having so much fun." You agree to allow him to stay just a little longer by saying, "only if you will not let him up on the couch, you remember how your father feels about that." "Ok, we won't" the kids say.

But no matter how cute a puppy is, it is a puppy, and a puppy will do what puppies do. As the games continue, the puppy jumps up on the couch to get a ball. "Mom, come look at how he jumps to get the ball." The kids cry, "He is the cutest puppy." But before anyone could stop it, you guessed right, he lifts up his cute little leg and… oh no, what do we do? Dad was due home any minute and the sofa was wet, and the living room smelled like a dog.

You have a great idea, "Ok kids, we will go out for dinner and call someone to come over and clean the sofa while we are gone." This seemed to be a good way to deal with the problem. Dad doesn't get mad, you are off the hook, the kids are happy, and the cute puppy still has a home.

What really happened that day?

A seed of rebellion was planted.

The kids were taught that it is ok to break a family rule.
They learn to disrespect Dad, and that his requests really do not matter.
They learned if something feels good and it is fun, just do it.
They learned to find a way out of trouble.
They learned to cover things up, what Dad doesn't know won't hurt him.

Another example of how rebellion gets started:

Rebellion is like a tiny seed, it is planted in tender soil and then it begins to grow. You may not notice that the seed is growing until it pops up one day out of the ground. You may not take time to do anything about the little weed, or the little lie your son told you about where he went after school. But just like the little weed in the flower garden, if it is not pulled up it keeps growing. As the weeks and months go by, the little lie and the little weed are both growing and no one is noticing. You may look out the window one day and see that the weed has become a tree and the son is not coming home at all. How did it happen? Just yesterday everything was fine. No, it takes time for a weed to grow into a tree and it takes time for rebellion to grow in a child. When rebellion has not been dealt with in the early stages, the results are very predictable. Proverbs 29:15 says, "A child left to himself will bring his mother and father much shame."

Your child is like a garden and what is planted will come up or come out. Start today weeding the flower garden. Observe what is coming out of your child's mouth. Is it weeds or beautiful flowers? I would consider a child's mocking and disrespectful words as weeds. When these weeds first come up, pull the weed up by simply saying, "That is unacceptable." Apply Proverbs 29:17 and correct them. When correction is given correctly, out of love, God assures you in Proverbs 23:13-14, that you will spare your child from future destruction. Then do your homework; find out how the seed was planted in the first place and eliminate the source of the problem. As a parent you have the authority given by God.

Bad seeds come from various sources:

TV programs and movies today are full of violence, sex, and deception. The friends that your children are hanging out with are a very strong influence and need to be carefully monitored. And just as in the Cute Puppy story, the way parents cover up things can plant a seed of rebellion also.

If you have a rebellious child, take action today! For complete article on what to do with a rebellious child go to article at livingwatersministry.com

For article on rebellion http://www.livingwatersministry.com/articles.php?viewtype=read&trans=20 Denise Boggs is an author, teacher, and director of Living Waters Ministry. She writes a daily devotional call The Path Called Righteousness. http://www.livingwatersministry.com/devotionalsubscribe.htm