"COOL BACK TO SCHOOL TRENDS"....MAKES MY SKIN CRAWL!

“COOL BACK TO SCHOOL TRENDS”

Makes My Skin Crawl

I have read this in magazines, newsletters and seen this title as the lead in for upcoming stories on all of the major TV networks. It burns me up beyond belief. As parents we are constantly dealing with the improper focus on material things and competition between kids. These same organizations run stories on competition, bullying and helping your child understand changes in economic conditions….how can they run both kinds of stories and not see the relationship?!

Am I the only one who feels that talking about “must have” for kids when they return to school only continues the bad cycle of improper priorities? I don’t want to see a young girl in leopard shoes as I did this morning on a major morning show. Nor do I want my daughter to learn at such a young age that she needs to look like a fashion model when going to school to LEARN.

The most important things in life are love, family, health and happiness and material things cannot give you any of the above. What about the young girl whose parents cannot afford to dress her in the latest cool back to school clothing? Maybe she will be made fun of and bullied. Nobody wants to know that this could happen to their child, but it can and it does and we have seen the extreme of bullying when young kids felt that they had no way out and took their own lives.

My skin is burning and my heart is pounding as I write this because I don’t want my kids or any of yours to ever feel that they are less than any other child because of material possessions.

We as parents must think of how to stop this horrible cycle and focus on the important things… love, family, health and happiness. I want my children to feel good about who they are in the world and how they relate to others rather than feel good because they are decked out in the latest trends.

Come on, Moms! Let’s all think about this and make some changes…PLEASE?!

Jennifer Kelman

http://www.MrsPinkelmeyer.com