- OMG. School is about to start! Well, for many of our kids that is. It's time for all of us to say goodbye to summer and hello to structure, schedules and scholastics. But are you and your kids ready? You may think you are but there are five things you must do before the big day.
Back to School: 5 Things You MUST Do Before School Starts
Here are 5 things you must before they go back to school.
Related: 8 days during the school year when kids can use an extra pick-me-up
1. Got it All?
You're a parent. Which means you -- by nature -- can be forgetful. One of the most important things … make sure you have everything they need. Sure you may think you got it all, but it's important to double if not triple check. Just for fun, even if you think you have. #2 pencils? Check. 3 inch ring binders? Check. Peter pan collar shirts for their uniform? Check. It's easy to overlook something totally imperative. And the kid, they'll be mad at you for days if you do.
2. Best Route
Okay, I may be a bit type A, but before our first day of school (...Read More » - By Liza Barnes, for SparkPeople
Exams. Pop quizzes. Homework. School can be a pain in the neck, figuratively. But if school is literally causing problems for your child's neck or back, his or her backpack may be to blame. Believe it or not, overloaded and poorly-positioned backpacks can actually cause serious injury. In a 2004 study published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, 64% of 11- to 15-year-olds who used backpacks also complained of pain.
If you've ever had back or neck pain, you know how uncomfortable it can be. The pain is often caused by pressure on the disks of the vertebrae. These disks are responsible for spacing out the vertebrae, holding them in place, and acting as shock absorbers. As we get older, our disks wear down or degenerate, causing chronic pain, herniated disks, and nerve damage. Putting pressure (like the added weight of a heavy backpack) on these disks wears them down even faster.
So what's a student to do? The stuff inside that pack is ess...Read More » - By Michael Noer, Forbes.com
Princeton University
College is outrageously expensive. Four years at an elite, private school like the University of Chicago (#4) or Stanford (#3) costs more than a quarter of a million dollars. A degree from a more affordable state school, like the College of William & Mary (#40) or the University of California, Berkeley (#50), still costs around $100,000, even for "in-state" students, who pay less in tuition.
Is it worth it? For many students, the answer is probably not -unless they are accomplished enough to be accepted by one of the schools ranked near the top of our annual list of America's 650 Top Colleges.
The rankings, which are compiled exclusively for Forbes by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity, focus on the things that matter the most to students: quality of teaching, great career prospects, high graduation rates and low-levels of debt. They do not attempt to assess a school's reputation, nor are they a measure
...Read More » - We're right in the thick of summer and settling in to our routine. We're making time for the park, visiting our little Seattle beach, and even enjoying some weekend camping. Ahhhh, summer!
10 Tips to Keep Your Kids Reading this Summer
But I'm trying really hard to make reading one of our daily activities as well. I was told by each of my children's teachers to "Keep them reading all summer long!" So here are 10 tips helping us make that happen, so they are prepared for school in the fall.
1. Head to the library
We love our library. Luckily we are within walking distance, making it all the more simple to visit often. They have a fun little children's area and my kids love to play with the puppets and puzzles, and read books on the comfy couches. Our library has a great online system as well, so we can put things on hold ahead of time and head over to pick them up with they are ready.
Related: 10 simple ways to ease the summer-to-school transition
2. Find a good list of books to read
Over on Make and Takes, guest c...Read More » Saying goodbye to swing sets and slurpees and good morning to school books and Social Studies is hard for most kids. Dr. Katherine Gibson, Psy.D. and Hayley Cooper, Psy.D., of Parent and Child Psychological Services, PLLC in New York City share their tips for how to tackle the summer-to-school transition before the post-Labor Day letdown hits. By Rosa Heyman, REDBOOK.
Be Enthusiastic
Back-to-school
"When parents worry about a child's reaction to starting the school year, it often results in the child thinking there is something to worry about. Kids will pick up on your energy, so be enthusiastic about the beginning of school," advise Dr. Cooper and Dr. Gibson.
Stay positive
"Avoid statements like, 'I'm going to miss you' or 'What am I going to do all day without you?'" suggest Dr. Gibson and Dr. Cooper. "You don't want your child to feel worried about you."
Related: The Best Mom Moments of All Time
Make up a secret sign
For kids who have an especially...Read More »
