Life at home and life at school for children are two very different things. At home, children are allowed to watch, eat, and say certain things that other children may or may not be able to do depending on their own parent’s rules. However, at school there is one certain fluid line that is drawn for all children to follow according to set rules.
As children grow through the school system as they age, these rules become more apparent and the line between what is appropriate at home and what is appropriate at school does as well. It’s important for children no matter what age, to realize not only that their school and home lives differ, but how.
Recently a teacher friend of mine who teaches second grade came to me with an interesting situation. A student in her class who had been acting up lately, and had several issues with being able to control himself in the classroom environment. This child is a sweetheart, but needed some extra time to be able to learn how to act appropriately and treat his classmates and teacher with respect.
One day, this student was severely reprimanded for his actions and was not pleased with his punishment. During recess, my friend found a paper full of doodles on his desk. Curious, she picked it up and looked at it. The paper was full of drawings of guns and other weapons such as knives and grenades. Now, although this child is only eight years old, this is a huge red flag. Considering the circumstances in which this all played out, it is careless not to address these drawings made by this angry child.
His parents were soon contacted, and they were not happy with the teacher for accusing their child of fantasizing of harming his peers. They explained that recently their child has been enamored with the navy seals and the military. They even showed the teacher the library books that he has been renting about the military and militia weapons, etc.
Had this child really made the connection between these weapons and using them to harm people he is angry with? Possibly, or possibly not at all. Is this just an upset child trying to get his mind off being angry by drawing things he likes, that people he looks up to use, or is this where the link starts to high school shootings, and using weapons and guns in schools when teens get too angry? Whatever the answer may be, it is crucial that you explain to your child what is acceptable and what is not. This can save your child from being in a situation like above, and keeping things that should stay out of the classroom, out of the classroom.