It is hard to believe that

is it already time to think about sending our children

back to school. This will be my last article of the

summer, so I decided to take a few minutes and talk about

some issues related to school.

The first three years of

school are the most important. During these years, a

child learns to either like or dislike school, teachers

and administrators. Therefore, it is especially critical

that a parent of a younger child pay close attention to

his or her child's needs during these impressionable

years.

One way to help your child

adjust to school and acquire a love for learning is to

become involved in your child's school. Be a volunteer

tutor, have lunch with your child, participate on parent

day, and show up for parties and special occasions.

Even though I have a busy

schedule, I have made it a point to have lunch with my

children every week they have been in school. I read to

my children's classes when I have been asked and I go on

field trips.

My wife, also very active

in the school, does many of the same things. Our

involvement teaches our children how important we

perceive school to be and that we are all in the

educational process together.

Teach your child to respect

teachers. I have, for the most part, been very pleased

with every teacher my children have had, but there have

been times that I have disagreed with something the

teachers have said or done. I never display my

frustrations with teachers or administrators in front of

my children. In our home, teachers deserve the highest

respect, thereby communicating to my children that

teaching is a noble career and that learning is of utmost

importance.

As the summer winds down,

your children will need to adjust their sleeping

schedules to accommodate their sleep needs. Some children

need more sleep than others, but most of us let our

children stay up later in the summer.

I suggest that you begin

changing bedtimes of younger children a week before

school starts. Get them up during this week at the same

time they would need to be up during school. This will

help their bodies adjust to going to bed earlier and to

getting up earlier before they actually are in school.

Four or five days of an adjusted schedule should make the

transition into the classroom easier.

It is easy to get into bad

eating habits over the summer. A healthy diet is critical

to learning. Children who eat too much fatty foods are

less alert and too much sugar can make it difficult for a

child to pay attention and they will become tired more

quickly.

Sugar burns very quickly in

the body's system. Once that brief boost of energy is

used up, a person becomes tired and lethargic. I know

we've all heard this since we were children, but fresh

vegetables, fruit, and some protein every day make for a

good diet.

Shut off the television. We

do not have cable television or a satellite at my home

and because of where we live, we only get three our four

channels. I am not opposed to cable television - in fact

there is more productive programming on cable than on the

networks - but we don't watch much television.

My children read constantly

and I don't want them to replace reading time with

television. We play educational games and we do things

together as a family. Television should be used

carefully, like any other appliance.

I am amazed at how little

there is on television that is worth watching. A good

rule of thumb for school children is no more than two

hours of television a day, but a one-hour limit is

better.

As a new school year

begins, get involved. Even if your child has a poor

teacher, you can compensate for that deficit by involving

yourself in your child's academic life. Respect teachers,

make sure your children get enough sleep, ensure that

they have a proper diet, and limit their TV time. These

suggestions should help your child start the school year

off right.