Andrea consulted the school supply list two or three times to be sure she had everything her children needed to go back to school.
Tonya listened carefully to what school officials were saying about class sizes and wondered about how larger classes would impact her son.
Mark insisted that his children start going to bed earlier in preparation for the change that would be needed when school started in a week.
All of these parents want their children to do well in school. All are doing the things they believe will help their child succeed in school, and to some extent they're right. They may, however, be missing one of the important things - something we rarely, if ever, hear about. If they are married, they could be missing the importance of their couple relationship to their child's success in school.
Amidst all of the potty training (2 yr old), crawling (twin 8 month olds), job changes (Mrs. B), and another school year starting (me), finding the time to enjoy the small joys of parenting has been even more elusive. Our summer consisted of three busy months - June, where we traveled to see family, July, where everybody was sick, and August, where everything is always crazy with school starting up. By all accounts "the Boy" and Twin-kies did a great job dealing with all of the changes, and don't seem any worse for the wear. Through all of this "the Boy" did pick up one rather irritating habit. At about 5 a.m. every morning he would wake up, pop the child protector lock on his door and proceed down the hallway to our bedroom. He would then come in and want to converse. I know that some parents are completely okay with this arrangement, because they themselves are morning people. Mrs. B and I aren't those people.
When my first son was four or five, he was just learning to ride a bicycle. At the end of our street he slid on some loose leaves and sticks. As he fell off of his bike his hand struck a thorn from a locust tree. Screaming, he ran up to me, hand held high, terrified by the sight of a two-inch locust thorn (barely) sticking into the palm of his hand. My wife Lisa stuck her head out the door to see what all the noise was about. Together, we tried to examine the injury. I reached out to pull the thorn from his hand, but this only terrified him more. He jerked his hand back, yelling "Wait guys, wait. I don't want to die. Leave it in; I don't want all my blood to run out."
Operation Us is a project started by Forest Institute and Ozarks Marriage Matters to promote healthy marriages, relationships and families. The work of the Operation Us project is sponsored by the efforts of our community partners, both in Springfield and in the surrounding counties. Many of our events and workshops are available at reduced costs, thanks to a federal grant received in 2006.
Whether your're a teen, a single adult, or in a relationship - dating, married, remarried, whatever - we've got a program for you. Expecting a baby? We've got you covered, too.
Workshops
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Hitched & Happy
Relationship Tools for Good Ol' Boys (and Their Gals, too) Learn More | Schedule -
Couples In Arms
A special program for couples in the military Learn More | Schedule -
Hitched & Hatching
Relationship tools for new & expectant parents Learn More | Schedule -
Rx For Your Relationship
For couples dealing with health issues Learn More | Schedule
