Off to the Races

If you’ve waited this long to go back-to-school shopping, may the force be with you. Be prepared to dig through Halloween candy and costumes to get to the pencils, notebooks and binders featured on your child’s school supply list. Retailers have no mercy on procrastinating parents. Most erected their school supply displays at 12:01 a.m. on July 5th. Heaven forbid you dared to actually savor the season outside with your family at that time instead of huddling around shelves covered with highlighters and glue sticks. Tardy shoppers are now being forced to employ a GPS to find pink erasers and … Continue reading

New School Year – New Problems With Bussing

A brand new school year means that changes in routine will occur. This can be really stressful for kids who have certain types of special needs. School just started, but already, there are problems with the busses that transport Special Education students to and from school. Children with autism rely on knowing that their day will have a set, expected, schedule. In school, a student may be using a laminated chart that shows what will happen first, next, and after that, for his or her entire school day. Or, the chart could be a digital one that is on an … Continue reading

The New Kid On The Block

Hi, my name is Sara and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experiences as the mom of a toddler with you. My son’s name is Dylan, and he is just over twenty seven months old. We live in Vermont and in about a month, our family will be expanding by one as we welcome another baby boy. Since this blog is all about toddlers and every toddler is unique, I think that I’ll tell you a little bit about Dylan so that you will know who is shaping my toddler mom experience. Like any toddler, he … Continue reading

New School Drop-Off Routine

The first week we parked and I walked with Jessie to the gym to wait for her class to be dismissed to her room. I continued to walk her to the gym and everything was fine until we came back after Labor Day. The long weekend threw her off and she was back in tantrum mode. The teachers in the gym watching over the children had to intervene and take the crying Jessie from me. Again, she was fine when I picked her up. We had another change in the school experience. The school decided that all children need to … Continue reading

Make Sure the School Bus has Air Conditioning

The Summer has just begun, and the weather is just starting to heat up. Parents in New York have been acutely aware of this. Their children, who have special needs, are attending summer school and being transported there and back by busses that do not have air conditioning. This could be extremely dangerous. Summer school can be a good thing for children who are struggling in school. In general, children tend to lose at least a little bit of what they learned in a particular school year over Summer vacation. Kids who have special needs are especially vulnerable to this … Continue reading

Mommy Blog Bashers

Have you ever considered that you could be helping a struggling single mom of four young children make ends meet each time you click on a link that leads to her blog? Earlier this year Oprah Winfrey devoted an entire show to the “Secret Lives of Moms.” It featured an audience full of women drooling at the chance to discuss the joys and pitfalls associated with raising the next generation. A portion of the episode spoke to a “new” kind of motherhood, in which women no longer suffer in silence about negative parenting experiences, mistakes and lack of maternal instincts. … Continue reading

Education Blog Month in Review: November

By November, students have settled in to the routine of school. The month of November brought with it lots of education news, from sex education and ethics in the classroom to upcoming policy changes that may affect when some students graduate. Check here to review any important posts that you may have missed. November 3rd Schools Required to Improve Dropout Rates Last month, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced a new set of regulations that are aimed at making high schools accountable for high school drop out rates. November 7th New Plans to Graduate Kids in 10th Grade The last two … Continue reading

Kick the Back to School Stress: 5 Stress Busters

As well documented here, my daughter started kindergarten yesterday, but for many parts of the country, back to school doesn’t begin until the next three weeks. The soonest start date that I know of after ours is next Monday, but then I know others that will not be returning to school for another three weeks. Either way, if you are not feeling that back to school crunch stress, you will be soon. The following are 5 stress busters that can help you make the going back to school experience Take the Time to Meet the Teacher Most schools will offer … Continue reading

And So It Begins…

You know those moms doing a happy dance in the parking lot on the first day of school, then caravanning together to the nearest Starbucks to toast their freedom with Venti Java Chip Frappuccinos? I’m not one of them. I’m the mom rushing off to get as much work done before I have to navigate the car line for pick-up. I’m also the mom who feels like an amputee walking out of school after three straight months of summer vacation. Three straight months operating as my child’s social activities coordinator and she as my third arm. So, no, I’m won’t … Continue reading

Spring Into Spring with an Outdoor Workout

With the weather warming up (at least in some places), you might consider moving your fitness routine outdoors. Whether it’s a bike ride around the neighborhood or a hike at your favorite state park, the opportunities to burn calories in the great outdoors are seemingly endless. If you enjoy soaking up the scenery while you sweat, then consider signing up for one of the following outdoor races being offered across the country this spring: April 4th–Pole Pedal Paddle (Jackson, Wyoming). Enjoy the Tetons as a backdrop for this skiing, biking and boating race. April 16-19–Sea Otter Classic. A biking competition … Continue reading