We are back in the grind of our school year. My oldest daughter is in 5th grade, my stepdaughter is in 1st grade, and my husband is back to work at a local elementary school, but this year I'm not heading back to school. It's the first time I haven't had my own classroom in 7 years.

I loved being a teacher. I enjoyed my years teaching kindergarten, first, and second grades. It was odd for me this year not stocking up on the school supplies and other new items for my classroom. I always loved the first day of school and meeting my class of fresh new faces. I loved heading out to the playground and seeing my students from the previous years and how they had grown. I enjoyed creating lessons and watching children learn, but this year I'm the teacher of my own children.

I gave up the job I loved to do the very important job of mothering two little guys and two older girls. It is scary giving up a job (especially during the time of state budget cuts), but each day I wake up and I thank God that I am able to be home. Each day I'm looking for one thing that I am thankful I was able to do that day. On the first day of the school year I was thankful that I was able to take my 5th grader to school. It was my first time ever being able to take her to school on the first day! Another day I was thankful that I was able to watch my 2 year old son entertain himself with a box for almost an hour! 

Many days it will be the simple things that I am thankful for being able to see because I am home. I love being able to see my infant smile. Other times it may be the BIG events like seeing my youngest roll over for the first time or crawl for the first time. Then, there are days, like yesterday, when both of my little guys were wrecks. They cried and whined and my day seemed SOOO LONG. But yes I was thankful that I was the one comforting their cries. Someday I will go back to the classroom, but until then I am going to treasure each day I have at home.

Yesterday I was watching the local evening news and I heard that a 15 year old had been shot. This saddens me a great deal.  Where were the parents? Why wasn't the child in school? The list of questions as to how this could happen could go on and on. The fact is a 15 year old should not be participating in such acts of violence. It shouldn't even be in our vocabularies that 15 year olds and younger children are participating in horrific acts of violence. Yet in our city we often hear of youngsters getting shot and/or participating themselves in criminal activities.

I know times have changed, but should we accept all changes? I'm not that old and I know when I was in junior high and high school I was way too busy to even be hanging out on the streets in early afternoons. Now it seems as if too many children are left alone and they are making poor decisions.  We as parents need to guide our children into more positive outlets.

For those of you reading this, you obviously care about your children because you are participating in Raising Bakersfield. How do we help the wayward children who do not have the parental support that our children have? Can we stop the violence that is affecting the youth of Bakersfield?

Yesterday I was watching the local evening news and I heard that a 15 year old had been shot. This saddens me a great deal.  Where were the parents? Why wasn't the child in school? The list of questions as to how this could happen could go on and on. The fact is a 15 year old should not be participating in such acts of violence. It shouldn't even be in our vocabularies that 15 year olds and younger children are participating in horrific acts of violence. Yet in our city we often hear of youngsters getting shot and/or participating themselves in criminal activities.

I know times have changed, but should we accept all changes? I'm not that old and I know when I was in junior high and high school I was way too busy to even be hanging out on the streets in early afternoons. Now it seems as if too many children are left alone and they are making poor decisions.  We as parents need to guide our children into more positive outlets.

For those of you reading this, you obviously care about your children because you are participating in Raising Bakersfield. How do we help the wayward children who do not have the parental support that our children have? Can we stop the violence that is affecting the youth of Bakersfield?