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Get Ready for the New School Year

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The new school year might begin for your kids in August or early September. You probably are aware of the need for new school supplies, school appropriate clothing, and an established bedtime. Many parents forget about the less obvious things that come with a brand new school year. Here are a few to be aware of so you will be ready when they appear. Strong Emotions In general, children tend to experience a lot of strong emotions at the start of a brand new school year. While some kids will be excited to start school again, many will express frustration … Continue reading →

Things to Know About the New School Lunch Rules

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the rules about the School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. This could affect your child, if he or she eats the breakfast or lunch that is served at their school. Here are some things to know about the new school lunch rules. The changes to the School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program, were issued in a proclamation given by United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, on May 1, 2017. Parents need to know is that these changes will take effect in starting in the 2017-2018 school year. The proclamation … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on School Supplies

Tis the season for back to school supplies. Parents everywhere are facing this time with a mixture of joy and dread. The summer will soon be over, and how on earth will they pay for all of the stuff that there kids need? If they are smart, budget-conscious consumers, they may try using the following strategies to bring the cost of needed school supplies down to just pennies on the dollar. Shop Multiple Stores Retail stores are fighting hard to get your back to school dollar, but not all sales are created equal. That is why if you want to … Continue reading →

Taming the Preschool Beast

Nothing unleashes a preschooler’s inner beast quite like extracting him from a fun environment without advanced warning. When my daughter was 4 years old she had an epic outburst at a children’s museum in Chicago because I failed to give her proper notification of our departure.  In doing so, I robbed her of the gradual transition I knew she needed in order to calmly exit the building. The fit she threw nearly got us thrown out of the museum. Looking back, my preschooler’s tantrum, which included tossing her shoes down a slide, was simply her way of staying true to … Continue reading →

Pushing for Publicly-Funded Preschool

If you missed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address five months ago, you may be wondering why his recent trip to Illinois attracted so many leaders in the world of early education. Obama spent much of his trip to Fort Knox College on Wednesday reiterating the importance of his proposal to give American children a publicly-funded preschool education. The president unveiled his goal of providing quality early education for 4 year olds in his State of the Union address earlier this year and he is not backing down on his commitment. “If you think education is expensive, wait … Continue reading →

The Preschool TV Battle is Heating Up

Your preschooler may be more powerful than you think. At least when it comes to watching television. According to Nielsen Media Research, children ages 2 to 5 spend an average of 32 hours in front of a TV each week. For cable networks this means big business.  In the past five years, a slew of channels dedicated to preschool programming have inundated the market.  Since 2000, Nick Jr. has continually garnered the highest Nielsen ratings.  The Viacom-owned channel is dedicated solely to preschool children and is home of the mega-hit show “Dora the Explorer.” Riding the wave of popularity with … Continue reading →

Have Fun Repurposing School Supplies

Forget about packing lunches; unpacking my kid’s backpack on the last day of school has got to me the worst mom job ever. The sheer volume of crud that is shoved into that Scooby bag is mind-boggling.  While I’d love to dump the contents of the entire bag into the trash, I am far too frugal to let even the smallest pencil stub enter the garbage if it can serve a purpose somewhere in our home. If you are looking to save money this summer, don’t give into the temptation to dump your child’s old school supplies.  Rather, sort through … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Your Finances Hold You Back from Your Dreams

Stuck in a rut? Want to embark on a new career, become a stay at home parent, go on a fabulous vacation, buy a new home? Whatever your dream for yourself and your family, don’t let financial trouble get in the way. You can fulfill your dream despite poor finances if you stay focused, have a plan and spend your energy on working toward your dream. The first step is really make your dream a real goal. Write it down, tell others about it, find a picture that represents your dream and paste it in a prominent place. Next, figure … Continue reading →

School Supply Favorite: Apple Wireless Keyboard

Apple Wireless Keyboard:  My New iLove Obsession I purchased an iPad for my homeschool about a year ago. I cannot say enough amazing things about it and neither can my children. I bring it everywhere making every drive, waiting room, or park a classroom. We also conduct school on our porch and backyard. My smaller kids use apps most of the time and hardly noticed the need for a keyboard. Yet, my older kids and I often found ourselves wishing the iPad came with a small keyboard. I tried to fill the need by purchasing a case that had a … Continue reading →

Homeschooling on the iPad with Dew Learning

  What is Dew Learning? Dew Learning is first and only K-12 Christian Curriculum for the iPad and accessible through any internet device.  Exciting news for online learners and even more exciting for iPad owners who can take their entire curriculum with them wherever they go. Non-traditional schooling is just that…non-traditional.  Education takes place on the road, while swinging in the backyard, at the dinner table, library or a restaurant.  Now you never have to leave books behind or break your back trying to carry it all.  Dew Learning comes on the most portable device on the market to give you ultimate … Continue reading →