Give Him A Good Start

Well, my friends...by now we all have begun a new school year. Hopefully, it has gotten off to a wonderful start. You must know that every school year bring new challenges, so give him a good start. He deserves all the good that life has to offer, and it begins in your home. Home should be a safe haven for our children, a place they go to receive support, love, and care. Know your role in the educational process and keep him engaged. 

School should be a supplemental agent for those things the home is primarily responsible for. Don't leave your child's education solely in the hands of his or her teacher. Give him a boost and start working on new concepts at home. It will be easier for him to grasp and understand when his teacher introduces it to him. Let him know that you love him, through your actions. Show up for open house, attend PTA meetings, join the school's SIC, volunteer, be the homeroom mom, check over his homework, and have daily discussions about his peers. Parents, make contact with your child's teacher now. Don't wait until something goes wrong to let the teacher know that you care about your child's education. Email the teacher from time to time just to say you're concern and you want to know how you can help your child. All of us are busy working; however, we can 't be too busy that we forget to visit our child at school and actively support his educational career. 

Not only do black males need support, all males need support. Males are active by design and must stay engaged. Get him involved in some extracurricular activity. Set limits for how they are engaged in those activities that can be addictive, like video games. Don't allow them to spend hours playing video games, without engaging in some form of reading. Make sure they are physically active, too. Take them to a local gym or park, and allow them to burn some energy. Visit our First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Initiative website at http://www.letsmove.gov/ for additional information on keeping our children happy, healthy, and fit. 

Best wishes to a productive & successful school year!

Mothers of Black Boys, Inc.