Life Lessons....

***I posted this several days ago but deleted it for personal reasons. However, I had a request to repost it as it is valuable information for parents.

Don’t know about you, but the world is much different than it was when I was a teenager. It’s scarier. It’s unpredictable. It’s uncontrollable.

How do we protect our kids from this?

The answer? We can’t.

All we can do is teach, pray, and hope for the best.

I want to tell you all a story. Listen carefully.

I know a student who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He witnessed an illegal event on school property that should not have taken place. He failed to report it to school officials.

Three days later, another student reported it. And guess what?

Long story short, the witness was considered “guilty by association.”

In addition, he was issued the same punishment as the students who actually participated in the illegal event.

Please, please, please warn your teenagers to be extra cautious. Please warn them that their lives can be altered within minutes. Please tell them their lives may never be the same again. Please get them to understand that “guilty by association” is how the world works.

You know how I know all this?

The witness was my child.

Let’s just say that mama bear took on the school system. Mama Bear knows her rights, knows how the system works, knows what to demand, and knows when errors are made within the process.

The punishment was reversed. And rightly so.

But what about those parents who don’t know their rights? Or those who are afraid to speak up? Or those who think whatever the school says is gospel? Or those who are afraid to challenge the system?

That’s the reason behind my post.

Don’t let schools scare you. Don’t let administrators bully you or your child into something you do not agree with. Make notes. Go to meetings prepared. Be ready to speak the truth and speak up for your child.

But most of all. Don’t be intimidated by authority. Question it if you feel they are wrong. You are within your rights. Move up the chain of command if needed.

The three things I want you to know from my experience are……PLEASE make sure your kids know they can be “guilty” merely be association. Implore them to be extra cautious even around friends. Your friends may not truly be your friends.

Fight for your rights. Fight as hard as you can. Don’t be bullied.

But most of all, make sure your kids know you love them regardless of the outcome.

We only have one chance at raising our kids. There are no re-do’s.

Don’t let someone else dictate your child’s future if you know they are wrong.

Please.