KIDS THESE DAYS:

If all has gone according to plan, there will be toilet paper adorning the trees along Mesa Verde Drive in Costa Mesa today, a traditional going back many years.

The tradition of papering the trees to mark the first day of the new school year has been going so long it is almost a habit. And because today is the first day of school, it may be useful for parents, particularly new parents, to know what habits good students are following to become and remain good students.

Many such lists are available online and are easy to find. But I’m going to boil them all down for you now to just one item. And it just so happens that the one thing parents should do to help their kids succeed is also the hardest and requires more sacrifices than many of them are willing to make.

That one thing is creating a learning environment at home. Specifically, it means setting the correct example. When you and your kids meet up at the end of the day, what they see you doing with your free time has tremendous influence on them.

Do they see you watching television or reading? Do they see you exercising and working around your home or apartment or do they see you sitting around?

If you are not reading, don’t expect your kids to be readers. And if you spend your free time doing nothing, don’t expect higher standards from your kids.

Even the presence of books in your home can influence kids. Buy books and keep them everywhere. Get into the reading habit and let your kids know you value reading more than surfing the Web or watching television.

The home learning environment means eating right. Good students are eating breakfast. Simply eating breakfast may sound silly to some, but breakfast helps adjust the body’s metabolism and helps increase concentration in the morning.

The home learning environment means parents support teachers. Parents and teachers will not always agree on what is best for kids. But if you have a disagreement over subject matter, teaching methods or a grade, don’t ever tell your child — take the matter up privately with the teacher via a conference, phone call or e-mail.

You see, teachers need parental support for their authority. The moment a student senses his or her parents disagree with a teacher on something, that authority is undermined and will start a chain of events in which everyone loses.

That united front between teachers and parents must remain strong.

At home, kids should be getting enough sleep.

This one is tricky for teenagers because as their bodies change, so do their sleep requirements.

In fact, if I were school czar, I would mandate that high school begin at 10 a.m. instead of 8.

But I am not, and it doesn’t, so we have to help our kids understand that the proper amount of sleep is not negotiable.

At home, kids should get the message that they are not alone; that if they need help, they will get it. Students should understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

We happen to live in a school district that provides a superior number of help options for students.

Most parents would be surprised to learn, for example, how many teachers are giving up their lunch times to help kids who are struggling.

In summary, it is true that what happens outside of class has more of an impact on students than what happens in class.

And today, outside of class, a tradition continues along Mesa Verde Drive.

STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer. Send story ideas to [email protected].