I just couldn’t help myself and had to put up this old commercial from Staples for every parent out there who is counting the days until school starts again.  Until today, I chuckled each time it aired on television and “they’re going back!” was a celebratory phrase shared in my circle of friends at the end of many long summers.

The focus is mainly on the daddy in this video as he gleefully skips and down the store aisles gathering school supplies; in the background,  Andy William’s soothing voice sings a classic Christmas carol.

Such happiness…

That was, until today, when I looked at the sad faces of the two small children in this commercial and thought for a while.  Suddenly, it wasn’t so funny as those frowns represent more than the end of  summer vacation.  I saw anxiety in their sad expressions.  Apart from new teachers and homework, it was more like they were thinking about who would be the class bully this year.  What boy or girl would be the one to hurl insults, make threats or worse, on the playground, in the halls or on the daily bus ride to and from school.

Why do kids bully?  One reason given is because he (or she) has a deep troubling need of his own and is picked on or feels that he does not have a very successful life.  And, too many kids fall into a trap by thinking that bullying is just “the cool thing to do,” especially in front of their friends.  Psychologists and educators feel that adults don’t give children the skills they need to be able to tolerate and appreciate the differences of others. 

Plenty of reasons, even excuses, and it boils down to the fact that school shouldn’t be a tense and fearsome place for any child; the start of a new year should represent the excitement of new beginnings and fresh starts. 

For now, there are more fireflies to catch and still time to sleep late.  Vacations will come to a close as many children return to school with happy memories, summer smiles and the anticipation of learning something new and unknown.