I'm the parent, that's why

I will be honest, I just caught up with the news from the last few weeks.

The news, and controversy, about President Obama speaking to our children at school today. I had heard about it, but since I don't watch the news much, I hadn't heard all the details. I happened to catch some talk radio while driving for work last week and realized that I needed to pay attention.

I am not an alarmist by any means. But I also can't ignore a message, from a man I don't trust, aimed directly at my children. At least without knowing what the message will contain.

Being informed is my job as a parent. As a mother.

My daughter goes to a public school with a considerable numbers of employees and families that fall on the conservative spectrum, so I felt confident that they would be making smart choices regarding the speech.

But because I am the parent, it is my responsibility to make sure.

So, I called the superintendent's office last week. As I thought, the superintendent and principals will be recording the speech and viewing it along with the teachers. Should any teachers wish to use the speech for educational purposes, they will send an informational letter home to parents so that they can make the final decision.

I am good with that.

It puts the ball back in my hands.

Yesterday, I read the speech. It's contents, as it is currently written, seem pretty harmless. They appear to be appropriate remarks for school-age children.

I will be curious to see if he sticks to the prepared material.

Along the same lines, I know what you are thinking.

I thought the same thing!

There are so many things, so many many things, potentially more dangerous or inappropriate that my children can be exposed to on a daily basis than a little speech given by the President.

I get that.

BUT, I know what those things are and I am prepared for that. I have been preparing myself and them for those things long before they would encounter them.

Peer pressure, drugs, inappropriate language or dress or actions, etc.

Along the way, I hope I am teaching them to be good listeners and thinkers.

Most of all, I hope I am teaching them to be good talkers.

To me and their father.

I want them to know they can always talk with us about anything. I want them to know in their hearts, and to trust, that we as their parents are the experts. The go-to's for anything they want to know or talk about.

It's a lot of pressure as a parent. To be the know-it-all!

Thank goodness we have One in our corner who truly knows it all!

Stacey