I love rules! Just yesterday, my son came home and said, “We have to respect school property — that’s a rule, you know. What’s property mean?” So funny. I went on to give examples of how to be respectful, like not writing on your desk, and making sure trash goes in a garbage can. He got the point.

I think kids need to have rules, even from an early age,  and there should be appropriate consequences when the rules are violated. But sometimes, we’ve got to get real.

I’m of course referring to the recent over-the-top school rule enforcement that made the news — the first-grader who brought a glorified spork to class and nearly faced 45 days in reform school for the oversight. After lots of media coverage, the school district reversed their decision. Thank goodness common sense prevailed, even though it took a few days of grief for that poor family.

Hopefully, educators took notice and will use some discretion and common sense the next time something like this happens. The idea of zero tolerance at the first grade level is plain silly. In this case, confiscating the item and consulting with the parents to let them know an item like that could be dangerous, and therefore should be left at home, would have been effective, don’tcha think?

So far, nothing outrageous has happened in my limited school parenting experience, but I’ve heard other parents talk about some seemingly unfair punishments. There’s the teacher who made one boy pick up a dirty tissue of the floor and throw it out even though the tissue wasn’t his (ewww!). Apparently she didn’t believe it wasn’t his. I heard about another kid getting detention for drinking from the water fountain after gym class without asking permission. Poor kid was thirsty! Or how about when the whole class gets punished for something only a handful did? As annoying as all of these minor incidents are, you can see why a teacher would resort to these methods. Teaching children to respect property, ask permission, and behave as a group are all good lessons to impart.

And, of course, keeping weapons out of school and ensuring that our children safe is perhaps the most important concern educators have.  But somehow I don’t thin a first-grader with a camping tool isn’t the one we need to be afraid off.

Parents, sound off: What school rules do you thing are over the top? Answer in the comments section below!

-Dawn Papandrea

Whatever your political beliefs, and whether or not you think a presidential speech should be broadcast live in a classroom, the central message in President Obama’s speech to the nation’s students is worth repeating to your children. If you choose to do so in your own words, that’ll work just as well. The point is we all want our kids to do well as students, feel proud of their accomplishments, and learn that hard work has real value.

Here’s what I took away from the speech, and how I plan on conveying it to my 5-year-old in terms he’ll understand.

“No matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an
education to do it.” You know how you say you want to be a doctor when you grow up? Well, doctors are really, really smart because they tried hard and paid attention in school. So make sure you listen to your teacher.

“But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you
come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no
excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude… That’s no excuse
for not trying.” Sometimes you might have a bad or sad day, or might wish you had something another kid has, but you’ll feel better if you think about things that make you happy.

“Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. Some things can be tough to figure out or might be harder for you than it is for other kids, but the more you practice, the better you’ll get.” Every kid is good at different things because everyone is special in their own way. You’re great at doing puzzles, but have a hard time riding a bike. Just remember to do your best, keep trying, and you’ll make everyone proud.

“Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.” Mommy and Daddy are always here to help you learn and do your homework, and explain things you don’t understand. And even though we sometimes tell you to stop asking so many questions (like “are we there yet?”) because you’re the most curious kid in the world, keep right on asking.

At the end of the day, it’s up to us to keep our children motivated and help them develop a love of learning. And if hearing the President tout the merits of education or imparting your own message of encouragement will help accomplish that, I say go for it. It certainly can’t hurt!

What did you think of President Obama’s speech? And did your kids watch it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

-Dawn Papandrea