Mid-Summer Check-In
Engaging in Your Child’s Education
Depending on where you live in the country depends on when your little assets will return to their learning institutions. Now I use that term “learning institution” lightly and with 10lb bag of salt. As parents we must do better at setting our kids up for success, not following the traditional model of here take my kid and indoctrinate them for 8 hours. We need to be in their space like never before. This reminds me of commercials from the 80’s the ones that would come on throughout the day and night with the “its 9 PM do you know where you children are?” Now, I am all about raising independent free thinkers, but there still must be boundaries set by the parents.
Reflections on Recent Events and Historical Perspectives
I have been asked by so many on my thoughts in reference to the assassination attempted on President Trump. I have shared some views but made the decision to literally let the dust settle and see what unfolds. As I write this, we are 20 days post event and so much has happened. Honestly it is all bad, and to be real it’s heartbreaking. Having served our country for 25 years I had to witness this again, but this time as a Retired Marine and now a parent. I was almost 10 years old when an attempt was made on President Reagan. My dad had the news on and I saw it happen in real time. It was hard for me to understand why. I had a ton of questions, kind of hard for a 9-year-old to grasp seeing an almost murder on live television. Unlike today when murder is in real time on all the social platforms. This is your que to start watching 80’s movies, The Running Man comes to mind. I remember years prior to that learning about presidents in school, my mother told me she was in school when President Kennedy was murdered as she watched it in real time. I remember her telling me she cried. As a child I could not understand why she cried. Why she cared that much about the president it would make her that sad. Now I get it.
Parenting Challenges and Aspirations
My son was 4 when the Uvalde shooting happened. I have always dreamt about being a father, I still have plans and visions on how I will continue raise my son to be John Conner, 2nd 80’s movie cue, watch The Terminator. But never in any of the aspiration to become a father by the grace of God did the thought ever enter my brain, I would have to explain how a person went into a school and murdered child. Situational awareness includes being aware of current events, sadly we learn from tragedy. We must get off the pity party train, where the passengers are encouraged to lean into victimhood mentality. It’s time to take our kids back and start raising victors and assets. Establishing a strong moral compass and leaning into God’s word.
Encouraging Critical Thinking and Responsibility
Encourage your kids to challenge you and others, this includes family members, teachers, anyone they encounter, encourage them to think freely. Full disclosure, I often struggle with my 7-year-old challenging me. Big thing to remember is first BREATHE, Listen, Process, Respond. As it reads in James 1:19-21, Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger. As a parent you need to lean into this. I would also strongly suggest not giving your children a phone or unsupervised access to the internet until they are over 16. There is no need for it. Stop letting a device raise your child.
The Importance of Active Parental Involvement
Parenting is hard, life is hard, getting punched in the mouth is hard, cancer is hard, learn from it and do better. There is a JOCKO quote in there, something like Life is hard…GOOD. Deal with the hard times now, establish a strong foundation now. If you think being a parent to a baby through an 18-year-old is hard, wait till you see what it’s like trying to parent a 25-year-old who has never been held accountable. Wait you can see that now on every college campus and in the work force. We must do better. If you are serious about fixing our country, it starts in the home. We have to raise the next generation of Christian Warriors. We are doing this, check out www.lifeskillzusa.com. When I say warrior, I do not mean a door kicker. I mean raising the child who has the courage to follow the word of God, to stand up roll up their sleeves and do the hard things.
Conclusion: Taking Action This School Year
Now what does all this have to do with a mid- summer check in. Easy, get involved. You your kids have spent the summer shuffling from camp to camp to camp and now they are back in school, get involved. I am aware that LIFE gets in the way and we have to also ensure we can provide for our families, in the means of sustainability with home, food and clothes. I am sympathetic, slightly to those who do not have the ability to homeschool their children. You must find a way. You are tired when you come home from work, GOOD, you want to have a drink and relax, wrong choice. Be tired and get in your kids life. What’s more important, a cocktail, updating your IG, watching TV, not working out. Remember they are watching everything! Set the example, be the standard they aspire to move beyond and raise the bar. I saw a meme the other day, it read “imagine telling your kid you didn’t work out because you were tired.” I mess up EVEYDAY at being a parent and a Husband. But I learn from all of it and I apply it.
SO, as we send our little assets back into the land of indoctrination, let’s send them forward with the courage to know they have a VOICE. As tiny as they are, they have a voice and they need to use it. If someone outside of the family tries to silence that voice, they call in reinforcement, Mom, Dad that’s you. This is where you show up, where you make the investment in your child. This is where you level up as a parent. Get into everything they are doing, all their homework. You’re mad cause they were taught something you don’t agree with, or something that is not true or you feel that something is malicious. Get involved, you also have a voice. Do not accept it, you don’t have to, but if you are not involved you are going to reap what you have sown.
Let’s make this the year we raise the bar for our kids, for our families, for our communities, and our country. Before it’s too late.
Train Safe, Train Smart, Train with Purpose, Be the Difference and Be a Good Human
Ron Holmes
