By REY FLORES
Back to school used to mean a lot to us kids back in the day. Whether it was a good thing or bad, we all experienced those butterflies in our stomachs as we returned to classes each fall.
I recall going shopping with my mom for new school supplies at the local discount store. A new backpack, pens, pencils, sharpeners, a ruler, a brand-new box of Crayola crayons, and the rest of the things we were required to bring to school, depending on what grade we were entering that year.
Yes, even back then we had our problems in our inner-city Catholic school. One girl ended up dropping out of our eighth-grade class before graduation because she got pregnant. Mind you, this was back in 1981.
Then there were also the kids who were expelled for smoking pot in the bathroom. Just because we were a Catholic school didn’t make us immune from the societal ills plaguing most schools at that time. If anything, the Devil especially targets Catholic schoolchildren, given our faith.
Today, as our own children return to school, whether it’s a public, private, or home school, it’s a totally different world. Not only do children face the same old challenges, dilemmas, and problems we once did, but now they also have the problem of the Internet and all of its snares.
Aside from the foul content known as entertainment nowadays, kids can access hardcore pornography at the tap of a smartphone screen. This is especially dangerous because we as parents have busy lives and aren’t able to monitor each moment our kids are online. I will, however, certainly encourage all parents to keep any laptops or any Internet usage, no matter on what gadget, in an open space where kids can’t hide what websites they are visiting.
More dangers lurk about with all of the social media sites where our children are interacting with other kids, and God-forbid, adult predators posing as kids and teens. We need be especially vigilant on what social media platforms are kids are on, and whom they are interacting with. There are too many true horror stories of how kids end up in a heap of trouble when those interactions develop into real-life, in-person interactions.
While technology offers ways we can stay in touch with our kids during the day, that same technology serves a more nefarious purpose where adolescents, fueled by raging hormones, began having thoughts about the opposite sex, and sex in general.
Instead of texting, many kids are “sexting” each other, engaging in provocative and naughty conversations, including sending racy photos to each other. Many kids have been caught sending nude photos of themselves to their friends, where once on the Internet, many of these photos can end up in the hands of adult child predators.
This is especially dangerous because many adult sexual predators are getting more tech savvy and can track down the location of your child if they really wanted to take their sick behavior to the next level.
Today, what used to be a safe place for kids to spend after-school time to study and have access to educational resources is now another trap. The problem is libraries allowing so-called “drag queen story hour,” where “drag queens,” several of who have been convicted of sex crimes against children, read homosexual-themed stories to kids of all ages.
My question is this: What kinds of parents allow their children to attend one of these horrible events? Furthermore: Why are public, taxpayer-funded libraries allowed to push these vile and immoral agendas on our kids, in what used to be an actual safe space for them?
Lastly for now, there’s always the use of alcohol and drugs, especially among high school and college-aged young people, but don’t be fooled. Like I said, even when I was in the eighth grade in a Catholic school, we had kids smoking weed in the school bathrooms.
I ask that we all pray for our kids as they return to school, no matter where, or what age. They all need our constant love and attention and especially our protective vigilance as Catholic parents.
I’m not necessarily encouraging parents to become what many call “helicopter parents,” where parents are a bit overzealous, monitoring their kids 24/7. But do be involved in your kids’ lives without alienating them or making them feel suffocated.
Young people face all types of dangers in today’s world, so as parents, we must be aware of whom they are hanging out with and where they are at all times. Also, keep the lines of communication open at all times.
Be the kind of parent your kids’ friends like to be around. Make your home a safe space, if you will, for them to hang out in a healthy and Christian environment.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray that our kids be safe this coming school year as we seek the edification of our children’s souls through the knowledge that they are seeking this year.
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(Rey Flores writes opinion and book and movie reviews for The Wanderer. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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