Thursday, August 25th, 2011 12:06:18

Raising Children and Raising a Nation

Raising Children and Raising a Nation

It’s late summer, almost Labor Day, and for those with school-age children, it is time to get back to school, back to activities and back to routine. After 11 weeks of vacation, routine sounds more welcoming and stable than oppressive and stifling, as it did at the end of this past spring.

My oldest child began middle school this fall. There is much more freedom in middle school than in elementary school. No two schedules are the same. Instead of groups changing classes en masse, everyone goes their own way.

There are student lockers — with locks — and after-school snacks can be bought at the snack bar. With these additional freedoms come more responsibility, more homework and the chance for students to begin testing their wings.