It's back to life in the fast lane as school starts on Monday

I think the first day of each school year hits me the hardest in watching how quickly my two sons are growing up.

Advance Placement classes and the homework that goes with that, student council functions, class dances, Friday night football games, band concerts, baseball games, back-to-school nights, play rehearsals, hanging out with friends -- the kids have more on their plates than ever.

It wasn't long ago -- as long as you don't consider a decade-plus-one that long ago -- that my oldest son started kindergarten. It was hard to believe then that he already starting school, just as it's hard to believe he's a junior and will drive his younger brother, a freshman, to school now.

With their busy lives getting busier, I'm really glad they have cell phones. They think they get them because they've done well in school and stayed out of trouble. And that's part of it.

But as a parent, I have a far greater advantage than my parents did. I can call and pretty much know where they are -- or at least have access to talking with them. Fortunately (or unfortunately), my parents didn't have that tether.

And I've become a huge fan of text messaging after being Mr. Reluctant. Of course, they're in much better sted with their friends now that they can text them (yes, go unlimited right off the bat -- no sense in a battle to try to save a couple bucks).

But, strategically used, I'm better off, too. I know they can't help themselves when their phone buzzes -- they have to check to see who texted them. And they really can't ignore me then.

I try not to abuse that access with the boys. I want them to learn independence and have some latitude to test the boundaries that have been set for them and hope they make good decisions.

But as an avid newspaper reader, that doesn't mean I don't worry about what is going on around them. Stories on drugs, guns, bullies, what goes in school lunches, classroom size and all the other topics that directly and indirectly affect their lives keep my concern up.

I still know the exact day (April 20, 1999) I decided the boys would have cell phones when they were old enough not to lose them.

I was in the newsroom at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver when it was becoming apparent that the shooting at Columbine High School was bigger than anyone thought.

What if that was the boys' school?

Parents waited for hours for news about their children -- each minute seeming like eternity. Cell phones certainly weren't as prevalent among the teen crowd. It doesn't take a tragedy like that to make parents worry about their kids, though. Sometimes, it's just a gut feeling that you need to check in.

So with school starting, we'll come back to the same Dad lecture about making smart choices, stating where they're going, who they're going with and what time they will be back. This year I realize I have less and less control over that. And that's OK. They're growing into men. Doesn't mean I won't check in every so often, though.

Shane Fitzgerald is Vice President and Editor of the Caller-Times. Phone: 886-3688. E-mail:


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