Aside from reuniting with old friends, one thing about going back to school that children look forward to the most is picking a new outfit for the first day.  Your child wants to look cool.  You want her to look stylish but tasteful and be comfortable without spending a fortune on designer brands.

Two weeks and counting before the new school year begins, at least for the kids in our area.  Here are a few tips that work for us to help make mornings run a little smoother:

As we get just a few short weeks away from the start of a new school year, my kids aren’t the only ones dreading it.  My source of contention isn’t because I’ll miss them (although I will very much), it’s because of the exhausting homework sessions we’ll need to endure for another 9 straight months.

Every year after the 4th of July I feel like time flies and the next thing we know, summer is over.  Here are a few tips that have helped me stay well organized and prepared for the big day without cutting into the last few weeks of summer fun:

Imagine finishing up a hard day’s work and then your boss sending home a whole stack of work for you to do after hours. That’s how many kids feel about homework, but the extra hours invested in education do pay off. The key is to motivate, encourage and provide the necessary tools to make homework a less daunting daily task.

Budgets are tight across the board in a tough economy, but when it comes to school classrooms, many parents would be shocked at the shortfall. Many teachers are literally operating on a shoestring and are often paying for basics out-of-pocket.

Ah, the freedom of summer.  It’s no wonder getting back into a routine is so hard – for ALL of us.  You’ve spent the last three months in a swimsuit, running outside all day and going to bed long after the sun has set. 

No matter how excited your child may be to go back to school, it’s likely that they are feeling some degree of anxiety.  This is a completely normal reaction to the questions they have about the upcoming school year. 

To pack or not to pack (school lunches)? That is the question. The answer varies. Check out tips for deciding and for streamlining the process if you’re child joins the lunchbox crowd.

For me, the gathering of school supplies stirred up feelings of anticipation for the new school year.  For my mom, it was a dreadful day filled with crowds which culminated in the writing of a giant check.