My kids are age 11, 10 and 8 and together they have already experienced 29 birthdays. In our house that means parties, cakes and gifts. Between all of these birthdays and holidays, it feels like my kids have received all of the latest toys and games that are available in stores and online.
When I go Christmas shopping, it’s hard to find something that they do not already own, most of which is thrown into a toy box that is overflowing with stuff that they now consider junk. But before this stuff was “junk”, it was hard earned money that my husband and I worked for and choose to spend to see that magical, but temporary light of excitement in our children’s eyes! I had no idea how temporary that excitement would be. By New Year’s Day, it’s gone. Poof!
Momentary enthusiasm but the money is permanently gone.
Enough is enough. I’m making a resolution right now, today, one months before New Year’s gets here. I will be holding myself accountable to my patented “No Excuses No Exception” motto.
NO MORE TOYS!
No Excuses. No Exception.
My kids will only receive items that cause them to become college and career bound. With the increasing academic achievement gap and the scarcity of jobs, I cannot afford not to. All gifts will be something academic in nature, cause them to become better problem solvers, musically inclined or technologically savvy. I, Kimberly Coulter, will walk past the aisles with Spiderman and glittery pink girl accessories and purchase items that contain books, technology and science experiments only. In the back of my mind, I know that this is the right decision.
Since the moment that I found out that I would become a parent, I have always strived to be the best parent possible. We all do and many times it requires us to do things differently when we learn better. Learning begins now. We must provide our children with purposeful items that put our kids onto the trajectory for success. No excuses. No exception.
Kimberly Coulter is the owner of Coolin and Schoolin L.L.C., an educational consulting firm that provides comprehensive services to school districts and produces audio and visual educational products uniquely designed for today’s urban educators, parents and students. She is also the author of Pre-Algebra (The Remix)2 , Illustrate to Calculate and the “No Excuses No Exceptions” line. Prior to her work at Coolin and Schoolin, she was an elementary and middle school principal.
If you would like more information about educational products or to learn more about how to close the academic achievement gap, call (810) 835-8727 or visit at: http://www.iamcoolinandschoolin.com.
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