Aside from Christmas and her birthday, my 6-year-old’s favorite day of the year is April 1st. My little prankster gets her jollies on the day dedicated to making a fool out of others. Only, at 6, her idea of a killer April Fool’s prank is to hide my hairbrush under her bed and watch me scramble around the house looking for it. Okay, I guess that is pretty funny. Still, this year she wants to go bigger, better, and funnier by coming up with a doozy of a joke to play on the friends we are planning to meet up … Continue reading →

In the past 48 hours I have received not one, not two, not three, but nearly a dozen emails from my daughter’s school imploring parents (namely dads) to help out with the annual Christmas program. Set designs need to be constructed, costumes need to be sewn and audio and lighting issues need to be resolved. Bottom line: The school wants parents to step up in order to make the holiday concert/pageant a rousing success. My point in discussing the avalanche of emails is not to disparage the school in anyway; rather it illustrates a clear attempt to encourage parental involvement. … Continue reading →

What happens when your child and his teacher are polar opposites? Do you spend the year watching your child suffer or do you request that he be moved to a new class? Personally, I don’t find either option very inviting. However, it’s a problem faced by thousands of parents each year… including my best friend. My extremely non-confrontational best friend. Her son recently started all-day kindergarten and he dreads going because his teacher is a yeller. The kid has been raised by one of the sweetest, gentlest, kindest souls on the planet. I’m not sure his mother’s voice reaches a … Continue reading →

Just call me, “Recess Mom.” Yes, my time has come. I have officially arrived. My daughter’s small Catholic elementary school relies heavily on parent volunteers to supplement staff, so instead of reacquainting myself with the Dewey Decimal System in the school’s windowless library, I signed up to break up fights on the playground… I mean encourage good sportsmanship on the soccer field and make sure everyone gets a turn on the monkey bars. Fortunately, I haven’t had to unleash “Mean Recess Mom” … I mean, “Let’s all play nice like good Christian boys and girls Mom” yet. Actually, I haven’t … Continue reading →

My daughter’s teacher spends more time with her than I do. That’s life. At least that’s what I tell myself. My 6-year-old gets up at 7 a.m. Monday-Friday. We’re out the door no later than 8 a.m. in order to get to school on time. I pick her up from school by 3:30 p.m. and we’re together until she goes to bed at 7:30 p.m. That gives us a grand total of five waking hours together. Compare that to the 7.5 hours she spends in school with her teacher and classmates. Thank goodness I love my daughter’s first grade teacher. … Continue reading →

Moms are emotional wrecks and dads are emotionally-challenged when it comes to watching their kids head back to class. At least that’s the message I’ve garnered from viewing the slew of recent back-to-school commercials that have saturated the airwaves in the last couple of weeks. Who comes up with these stereotypical ads? And why promote the cliche? I’m referring specifically to one of the most popular back-to-school commercials EVAH! It features an overjoyed dad frolicking through a Staples store to the strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The dad is far from emotionless; rather, he is … Continue reading →

When I was pregnant with my daughter my main focus was to give birth to a healthy child. I considered all of the factors that would make her environment safe and secure. I also thought about what she would look like and what type of personality she would have. Though, never in the nine months she was in my womb, did I consider how she would react to school. Turns out she loves it. However, she often reveals that she does miss me during the nearly eight hours we are apart. Ditto here. To ease her transition from half-day kindergarten … Continue reading →

I remember a time when any bag I gave my daughter was met with a joyous squeal, a monstrous smile and an even bigger hug. Seriously, a leftover purse circa 1978, found curled up in the corner of the closet with a broken zipper, was like finding a pot of gold to my bag lady in training. Ah… the good ol’ days. My darling daughter is six years old now and the days of her willingly accepting anything I select have long faded in the rearview mirror on the long, winding road through parenthood. Last year, in preparation for her … Continue reading →

A.k.a.: The shopping trip from hell. Besides backpacks one of the most popular and expensive back-to-school items is a new pair of shoes. Even if your child wears a uniform to school, you will likely have to purchase him a new pair of stomps. So what can cash-strapped parents do to ensure that they are getting a durable and fashionable pair of shoes for their kids without breaking the bank? Here are some tips: Size: Don’t turn down the shoe store employee when she asks to measure your child’s foot. Younger children are constantly growing and wearing slippers and other … Continue reading →

What is the single most expensive back-to-school item on your child’s list? It likely varies depending on the age of your child, but according to a new report, backpacks are high on the list of back-to-school budget busters. Most kids insist that a new backpack is required back-to-school material despite what their frugal parents might think. However, if you want a backpack to last a couple of years it pays to invest in a good one. No offense to major discount retailers, but $3 clearance packs don’t often fare well against pricey, high quality bags. Prices for a high quality … Continue reading →