Just a few weeks ago, many parents were worrying about just what to do with their children over the long summer holidays. Now that we are at the end of the 2009 summer holidays, many parents are worrying about just how their children will go back to school in a good position to make the most of their educational opportunities.

It is commonplace to make grand resolutions at the start of each calendar year, most of which are promptly broken. However, we must point out that the much touted New Year's Day is not the only natural opportunity for rebirth and a sense of renewed purpose.

So we propose that just as how students gear up themselves for the new class they are going into, parents should also make it a point of duty to commit themselves to more interest in their children's education and giving them better tools to pursue their academic dreams.

This does not require a loud declaration or, we hope, a complete change of habits and lifestyle that is often entailed in the various New Years resolutions. It simply means taking a bit more time to look over the children's books, making five minutes in the day to speak to their teacher or teachers, buying a book that broadens their mental horizons instead of spending the money on cellphone credit.

And we are sure that, in the not so long run, this kind of resolution will pay off in ways that you could have never imagined.