The Public School Parent Pledge

Public school moms,

We’ve got our quirks and struggles. We are a diverse group, but we’ve got some things in common. Let’s make a pledge to work on this stuff:

-Let’s remember that education doesn’t just happen between the hours of 8 and 3. We need to be teaching our kids the important stuff that happens during the rest of life.

-Let’s be involved in our children’s schools– volunteering, having lunch, encouraging our teachers.

-Let’s quit publicly complaining about having to deal with our kids over long breaks. As difficult as it can be, that time with our kids is a blessing we need to cherish.

-Let’s eat meals as a family and be intentional about having meaningful conversations.

-Let’s invest in the moms of the children at our school. We can be praying for each other, our kids, their teachers and administrators.

-Let’s not close our eyes to the failings of our schools just because we appreciate the service they provide.

-Let’s actively find times for our kids to engage in relationships with friends who share our beliefs.

-Let’s invest in the homeschooling moms around us. Their schedules are different, but their hearts are the same. We need to make the effort to be involved in their lives.

-Let’s use our available time while our kids are at school to be building relationships, helping others, and using our energy wisely so we can really have meaningful time with our kids when they get home.

-Let’s not over-schedule our limited time with our kids.

-Let’s teach our kids to respect authority by being supportive of their teachers and seeking to understand their side of any conflicts.

-Let’s be sure we communicate to our kids that education is important, but character matters more.

-Let’s be sure we’re opening the door for questions our kids might have about difficult topics. We need to be the first ones to address those issues with them and they need to know we aren’t afraid.

-Let’s be conscious of what we say about others in front of our kids. Let them hear us building others up and valuing unity.

-Let’s own the hurts that have been caused to our homeschooling sisters by thoughtless remarks, even if we weren’t the ones that made them. We can validate their pain and make a step towards healing.

-Let’s read the books our kids are reading, sit with them while they do their homework, communicate with their teachers about their education.

-Let’s continually evaluate their progress and how well they are handling the public school environment.

-Let’s point our children to Jesus by loving them well.

-Let’s give ourselves grace when we fail to meet our own expectations and grace to our kids when they struggle, too.

Who’s with me?