T
he slower paced days of summer are
rapidly coming to an end. Gearing
Up for “Back to School” is starting to
preoccupy the minds of parents, chil-
dren, teens and of course the gifted and tal-
ented teachers, counselors, administrators,
staff, and other school personnel. Where did
the time go? Ready or not, our young peo-
ple head back to school in August and Sep-
tember. Many children have been away from
a formal or structured learning environment
for at least two or three months. Children
and teens may be changing schools, meeting
new friends, have fears about their school,
or simply be anxious about going into a new
grade. Regardless of whether your child is
attending public, private, charter, or another
school environment, it is never too late to
discuss his/her emotional or psychologi-
cal well-being. Since children will typically
spend over 8 hours per day in a formal
school setting, unless “home schooled,”
strong families are essential to their health
and well-being, including mental health.
The family is indeed God’s idea and it is the
first place children begin to learn and adapt
to life. Values and morals begin within the
family unit. So what characterizes the strong
family as prescribed in Deuteronomy 6: 3-9?
Some of the qualities that make a
family strong include:
Godly parents
Praying together
Being a good listener
Discipline without rejection
Reading the bible together
Spending time with your children
Teaching children how to be good stewards
of God’s resources
Being able to ask for forgiveness and to
forgive others
The song, “Greatest Love of All”,
originally recorded in 1977 by singer/
guitarist George Benson, and later in 1986
by Whitney Houston, conveys the message
that our children are our future. We must
protect, nurture, and teach them well.
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how
we used to be
—Michael Masser & Linda Creed
(Songwriters, 1977)
I believe it is so important for us to
Encourage One Another with Christ as our
example and the scriptures as our guide.
Using these principles, it is also important
that we have essential tools to help our chil-
dren. Learn more in our cover story and be
empowered to make a difference.
Mary Shaw-Ridley, PhD, MCHES is a health
education professional with over 25 years of
experience. She is the President of Shaw & Asso-
ciates, LLC, a health & education consulting
group. She is also Chair and Professor of the
Department of Behavioral & Environmental
Health at a new School of Public Health/Jack-
son State University.
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