Over the past eight years, there has been much public anguish over the transformation that President Obama and the liberals have tried to bring to America. Obamacare is awful, illegal immigration is out of control, the President does not support the police, we appear weak to our allies, we appear weak to our enemies, we should not be involved in wars in the Middle East, we should not send soldiers into combat in the Middle East, and so on.

Since the election of Presidentelect Donald Trump this past November, there has been much public anguish over the future of America under his projected policies. Repeal Obamacare, build a wall to stop illegal immigration, support the police, we must appear strong to our allies, we must appear strong to our enemies, we should not be involved in wars that do not threaten our national security, and so on.

There is a more important issue that we confront. I would paraphrase something that I read recently; what is taught inside your house is more important than what is taught in the White House. I originally began to write this week about the heart wrenching series of articles that appeared during the last few months about the plight of single parents trying to cope with poverty. That issue is one on which it is easy to take sides and have strong opinions. However, most of that conversation is not going to solve the problem. The ultimate solution is “ What is Taught Inside Your House.”

I recently became aware of a new policy implemented at the Camden- Rockport Elementary School — no homework. My initial reaction was that of, “great another new experiment with our kids.” I then found out that the new policy was intended to give more valuable family time in the home. The school wants parents to make sure that there is time at home for recreation, for a family dinner, for parents to play a game with children that encourages reading and math, and for many other possibilities. The schools have known for a long while that parental involvement with their child’s education is invaluable for quality learning. This school has implemented a policy to encourage that very thing.

I learned hard work from my father, I learned about motivation from an older brother, I learned ethical business behavior from another brother, and I learned the value of higher education from my future in-laws. Our children are going to learn ethics, morality, character and other basic values in our homes or not. There are short term solutions offered for much of societies’ problems, and they may or may not work, but the long term solution that will work can be accomplished by the careful education in our homes. Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Tom Brady, or Colin Kapernick will not have the ability to influence our children as much as the parents in the home. I would encourage every parent to read about the influence that Dr. Ben Carson and his brother received from their mother in motivating her children to rise above abject poverty in the slums of Detroit, Michigan to success.

“Your success as a family… our success as a nation… depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” — Barbara Bush at a commencement speech at Wellesley College 1990.

Another View is written on a rotating basis by a member of a group of Midcoast citizens that meet to discuss issues they think are of public interest.