Bee Editorial
Are your children really ready to go back to school?
Pens - check. Notebooks - check. Stylish back-to-school clothing - check. If you're a parent or guardian who has already obtained the ever-growing list of supplies required by school districts and the hippest clothing and shoes required by your child - you may think your back-to-school regimen is complete. Think again.

With one weeks left of summer break, parents are undoubtedly ready to drop their children off at school for the day and enjoy their own "break" for the next nine to 10 months. But shopping for calculators and "cool" new shoes is not the only thing you should be doing with your soon-to-be student.

It's time to have the "talk." No, we're not referring to that talk but instead, the talk about peer pressure, the "need" to fit in, and what is appropriate and inappropriate school conduct. School can be a place of tremendous pressure for children and teenagers. Students of all ages want to be with the "in" crowd, but many parents may ask themselves, "What exactly is the "in" crowd today?"

We encourage parents to discuss with their children certain situations that they may come across as they return to their academic stomping grounds or if they are entering an entirely new building, which can be filled with entirely new pressures. This is not the time for parents to back out of a conversation because of embarrassment or lack of knowledge of "what the kids are doing today."

Sit down and discuss alcohol and drug use with your child. Teach them about respect for each other as well as their teachers. Let them know they can face serious consequences for "pranks" in school that may seem funny at the time.

We at The Amherst Bee are in no means trying to tell you how to parent your child, but instead we are offering a few words of encouragement and perhaps a slight "nudge" to get the ball rolling.

The first day of school will be here before you know it, and with the busy schedules of students these days, you may not find a moment to sit down and properly discuss these issues.

If needed, members of the school district are always available to help parents tackle these tough issues, so don't be ashamed to call for some assistance.

No matter if your child is entering fourth grade or preparing for his or her senior year of high school, it's important to open the lines of communication between parent and child. Remember, peer pressure doesn't recognize age as a boundary.