Back to School...Already?

I noticed that we have a "Back to School" service scheduled at church August 26th and I found myself thinking...already?  Is the summer already over?

At various weeks during the month of August and September students head back to school and college across the State of California.  In Amador County where I live some home school, some go to private school and others to public school.  Still others will make the drive to nearby towns for Junior College and a number will enroll in colleges and vocational schools around the country.

Dads will reluctantly shed tears as they send their daughters off to college.  Mothers will will quietly breathe a sigh of relief at he prospect of momentary peace and quiet.  Children will loudly moan and groan at the prospect of getting up early in the morning and heading off to school.  The sounds of summer will transition into the familiar reverberations of the school year.

Here's a few thoughts about this annual time of transition...

1.  Take an intentional few moments with your children at home and review the guidelines for behavior and the goals you have for them in life...if you don't have these it is an appropriate time to think them through.  It will help your children understand the "method in your madness" and your motivation for their ultimate good.  And it will make you re-think what kind of a job you're doing.

2.  If your children are headed out away from home, this is a great time to affirm your love for them, set up a regular time/mode of communication and to encourage them to remember the things that have always been important to them--finding a good church, making good choices, getting enough sleep, eating healthy...you know the drill.

3.  As for your ever-changing role as parents, this may be the critical moment to acknowledge that you are partners together as parents and to rebuild your own communication network as you handle children, adolescents, college kids, and ultimately, the "empty nest" syndrome.  If you haven;t learned to talk to each other, this could be scary!

The sounds of summer.  The familiar drone of the school year. Be prepared.  It's already here!