Red Ribbon Week

This past week at Regan's school, and all over the rest of the country, was Red Ribbon Week. For those not "in the know", it is the kick-off the school's anti-drug campaign. Speaking of drugs, I must have been on some, since I agreed to co-chair the festivities... Last year I volunteered on this committee, and somehow that turned into one thing, which turned into another, which turned into the PTA president handing me a thick red binder, the phone number of another, probably equally confused PTA mom who was my co-chair, and wishing me good luck. Sigh...I really do have issues with saying "no", but that is for another blog entry, or more likely, therapy.

Anywho, the week has come to an end, and I think we did a pretty good job. The teachers, parents and kids all seemed to find the week fun and educational. I admit, that my co-chair and I focused on the fun, letting the school counselor and teachers lead the charge on the educational side. I love Regan's school, and so far, I love all the teachers she has had as well as any I've had the pleasure of dealing with through various committees and volunteering gigs, and they really did an awesome job this past week talking to the kids about making the smart decisions about drugs, etc. We had conversations with Regan and Hadyn here and there about good drugs and bad drugs and how good drugs can become bad drugs, and so on. I felt that for a first grader, she had a healthy dose of information for her teacher to build on.

So, Tuesday, as we were preparing for a postponed Family Home Evening, Regan announced that she wanted to teach a short lesson about drugs. Cool. It is always awesome when you realize that what you are trying to teach to your kids is actually sinking in, even a little. She had learned some from us and some from school, and she was ready to teach the rest of us. I love it.

She comes in with some throat spray and some of my prescribed cough medicine from last winter. She talks about how we shouldn't do things like sniff glue or paint or any medicine. Then she talks about prescriptions and how you should never share presicribed meds. I was beaming. She really got this whole anti-drug thing. Nice. I was just checking the "Have the Drug Talk with Daughter" item off my to do list when she says, "Using someone else's prescriptions is really bad. You might get the other person's germs and get sick."

Okay, so she doesn't have it completely figured out, but she still did awesome. Besides, who wants to get someone's germs that was needing cough medicine? Not me, and definately not Regan. Good girl Reg's. She drew us all a picture so we would have a visual reference of the forbidden drugs. I thought I'd share...