A Back to School Wish

It's the last two weeks of summer and we have been wallowing in the laziness of our schedule, spontaneous fun and extreme adventure. We are driving home from the beach and I mention that school is coming soon and we begin to ponder what that means...new classroom, new friends, different kids in class....and my son says,"Mom, I wish I would get a teacher that doesn't yell."
"I wish you would too. Why do you think she might yell, though if she did?"
"Well, it wouldn't be her fault. It's the kids that don't listen and move around a lot." He says emphatically.

"Well, I wouldn't say her fault, or the kids fault, but they are RESPONSIBLE for what they do, right?" I ask.

"Yeah.... But Mom, you know how you said that what we eat, you know, makes a difference on how we do in school, like makes us cranky and stuff?"
"Yes." I answer.

"Well, you know Mom, I see what the kids eat and a lot of them eat a lot of junk....you know, cookies with sprinkles and red food dye juice, and GMO and Cheetos with food dye...and they all eat wheat, and Mom, you know after they eat that they act all crazy and don't listen to the teacher and she yells and I can't think when she yells! You know, I wish those kids wouldn't do that!" He looks completely distraught. His passion has his younger brothers stop playing with their gadgets and look at him with concern.

"Well, they eat that food because they don't know that it affects them like that." I say to soften the intensity.

"Well, I am going to tell them then, you know, like an extra credit science project. I am going to do a report. Can I do it on the first day of school?"
"Why don't we do it and ask your teacher when it will work? Just be ready for the first day?" I ask.

"Okay great! Because if everyone knows that junk food and red food dye and sugar makes kids act crazy at school then they won't eat that and the food companies won't make that either. They would make something else that's better for us. And then everyone will be happier and better too. They might not die even from being sick from allergies and getting sick. I would be helping the world!" He is shining.

No joke. His words. My son is out to save the world.
He isn't even thinking of this as work, it just matters to him that everyone has fun in school and is healthy.

So be forewarned, parents, if your kid comes home asking for fruit for snacks instead of Cheetos...
because kids just say what matters to them.

Zen Honeycutt