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It is time for our kids to start preparing to return to school.  Are we ready for that return? I would like to give you my thoughts on a few things I find disturbing in our school system:

There has been a rash of school violence in the past few months and years, something that was unheard of when I was going to school many years ago. 

I think as parents we should take the time to become aquaint ourselves with a few things that could make a difference between a safe and happy expierence, or a bad one.

There are certain signs to look for in our children that may give us reason to be concerned. Amoung these are:

1. Drug and alcohol abuse.
2. Feelings of isolation.
3. Being depressed.
4. History of discipline problems.
5. Lack of academic participation.
6. Uncontrollable anger.
7. Violent drawings or artwork.
8. Obsessive adiction to violent video games.
9. Affiliation with gangs.
10. Easy access or being obsessed with guns.

Not all students will have or even show all of the above, so be careful not to jump to any conclusions.   Just be aware of them and watch for signs that your child may be showing one or more of these symptoms.

There are things that we as parents can do to help prevent the type of behavior listed above. One is to become much more active in our childs school and home life.  Joining the PTA for example is one way of staying in touch with what is going on.  Talking to your children and their teachers is another. There are many fine organizations out there on the world wide web that we can turn to for help. I will list the links to them at the end of this article.

I know that it is not easy for every parent to make a firm commitment to the school system or even their own children, however, if we do not find the time and the way to do these things we could see another Columnbine on our hands.

Latchkey kids, not even attention to homework, tv viewing, and yes even easy access to guns, can be a contributing factor in the way our children grow and form values.  We must make the time for them now, so they can grow into happy and healthy adults.

Please check out the following links below for more information that could be of great use to you, and your children:

http://www.bbbsa.org
This is a link to the Big Brother/Sister Program

http://www.health.org
This one is the National Clearing House of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

http://www.askeric.org/Eric/
This is a great site for a wealth of information

I hope this information comes in handy for all parents and students alike.  It is also my hope that all of you have a safe and happy school season.

The links provided are compliments of CAWS.

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