It's All About Them

At NRO, Myrna Blyth reminds us that Memorial Day is Not Just A Day Off:

Too many people today tend to think of Memorial Day as the three-day weekend when the pools open and the grill gets fired up for the first time of the season. But, of course, it is a lot more significant than that.

The holiday, you may know, was originally known as Decoration Day, when flowers were laid on the graves of the Civil War dead, both Union and Confederate. After World War I, observances began to honor all who had died in any of America's wars. Today, amidst family picnics, the end of school, and, yes, the opening of pools, there are still many observances of the solemn nature of the day. Flags are lowered to half-staff from dawn until noon and many communities observe a moment of remembrance in ceremonies throughout the nation.

I have been working on a book entitled How to Raise an American. In the book my co-author Chriss Winston and I not only explain why instilling patriotism in the young can be so very challenging these days; we also give lots of practical suggestions about how to deal with this situation. Some of our ideas, we think, will help parents make their kids understand the meaning of our country's most important holidays.

She goes on to suggest some things that parents can do with their kids to help them understand the real meaning of Memorial Day.