“What happened?” University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds asks in his article, “The Clock Strikes Thirteen.” “It’s like a spell broke. Since November’s election (re-election?) of President Donald Trump, the woke is going away, and all sorts of problems are resolving themselves.”
Reynolds later notes:
But what’s really interesting is that the pushback started not with the allegedly freethinking educated classes, but with the working class that made up the core of Trump’s movement. Now, with the election won, you see people who would have been afraid to embrace Trump, or at least to treat him normally, doing so. The election gave them permission.
With Trump now in the White House, voters should expect his administration to begin fulfilling some of his campaign promises: a secure border; the deportation of illegals who have entered our country, especially those with criminal records; lower prices at the pump and the grocery store. Because of the mess the Biden administration left, we’ll need patience while the ship of state changes course, but the future definitely appears brighter.
Regarding our children’s education and development, however, we should resist looking to the federal government for help. The last few decades have confirmed the ineptitude of that leviathan in matters of education. Sinking national test scores, for instance, and the introduction of critical race and gender theory into public schools have left the young less well-informed and more indoctrinated than ever.
Parents have always been and will continue to be the primary educators of their children. Here are four ways mom and dad can help their children prepare for higher learning and life.
Stress the Basics in Elementary School
Academic competence in reading, writing and mathematics is key to unlocking the future. A solid foundation in these areas opens the door of opportunity.
Whether your children are enrolled in a public school or an exclusive private academy, you must keep a constant eye on their progress in these subjects. Helping them with their homework, spending a few minutes every evening going over their day’s schoolwork, and tutoring them when they need guidance are three ways to track their progress and lend a hand when they’re struggling.
Teach American History
That so many of today’s students are generally ignorant of their country’s past is a national disaster. To love is to know, and without that knowledge, our children will grow up with little affection for their country.
From preschool through high school, we must teach our country’s past to our children. No degree is necessary. Bookstores and public libraries are awash in histories and biographies aimed at the young. Great movies like “Liberty’s Kids,” “John Adams,” and Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” are also available. Or share with the younger crew some of the songs written about and for Americans.
Doing these things will shape our children to become full participatory citizens in our republic.
Manners Matter
“Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words,” St. Francis of Assisi once said.
Teaching manners works much the same way. The littles in our lives usually need spoken instruction – “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” “Say hello to your grandmother” – but our actions speak even louder than our words. How we behave in front of the kids, how we treat our spouse and others, is a lectern no parent can escape. We’re teaching every minute we spend with our children.
If you want some fun and assistance with these lessons in decorum, try Jennifer Scott’s “Connoisseur Kids: Etiquette, Manners, and Living Well for Parents and Their Little Ones.” Here you’ll find not only great advice on everything from table manners to holding conversations, you’ll also discover games and activities that will make learning these essentials a pleasure.
Gratitude
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today,” motivational author William A. Ward once wrote. “Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’”
Gratitude is one of the most neglected subjects taught to the young, yet one of the most important. Most of us teach our children to say “thank you” when given a gift or offered some help, but that’s only a small part of gratitude. We should teach them – and we should teach ourselves, as I and so many others have had to do later in life – to appreciate being alive, to feel grateful for living in the United States, to be grateful for even the small gifts a day brings to us.
We can teach gratitude to the kids and grandkids by example and by encouraging them to start or end each day with a short, simple list of things for which they’re grateful. Research has shown that gratitude makes us all, children and adults alike, happier and more mature people.
Give these gifts to our children, and we will have played a major role in making America good again.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and several other publications.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email culture@1819news.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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