Back to School? 5 minutes of your time could win you $150 from Amazon!

“Hey readers. Want a chance to win a $150 Back-to-School Gift Card from Amazon? Spend 5 minutes taking this anonymous survey from Unicast about your Back to School shopping, and you can win one of 10 prizes. But don’t wait too long – the survey closes 8 pm ET Fri. Aug. 20. Winners will be emailed on Monday Aug. 23.

Here’s the survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22B385KB4BX”

Great Parents Make Great Schools Work.

According to “The Economy’s Impact on Back to School,” a report issued by GreatSchools and Harris Interactive, nearly two in three parents (64%) believe that the economic recession has made it even more vital to volunteer in the classroom this school year.

The good news for teachers facing cutbacks at their schools? 53% of parents surveyed say they plan to volunteer at their child's school this year, an increase of 20% in average over last year's survey. The greatest rise is in African American parents: an impressive 60% plan to do so this year, up from just 23% last year.

But there's bad news as well--nearly half of those enthusiastic parents cite the lack of volunteer opportunities as one of the main challenges standing in the way of their being more involved in their child's education.

“As American families prepare for back-to-school season in this economic climate -- when family, school and state budgets are tighter than ever -- there is a silver lining: parents,” said Bill Jackson, founder and president of GreatSchools. “This...report is a wake-up call to parents and teachers alike to clearly communicate on ways they can work together.”

The study also looked into the ways economic cutbacks have influenced the school choices parents make:

• More than three in five parents (61%) believe the quality of education will suffer because of school cutbacks.

• Nearly one out of every four parents (24%) have begun rethinking the type of school their children should attend going forward.

How prepared are parents for school?

• 93% plan to buy school supplies ahead of time.

• 47 percent of (only 47 percent?!) find out ahead of time which subjects their child will be learning.

• 39% have kids start reading more frequently as the school year gets closer.

• 33% cut down on TV and video games.

• Almost 90% plan to save money on school supplies this year by reusing old supplies and waiting until after school starts to avoid unnecessary purchases.

Inspiring Action: The Great Parents Pledge

The Great Parents Pledge from GreatSchools is focused on inspiring parents to commit to greater levels of involvement in the coming school year. Parents choose GreatSchools to connect with each other – to find the right schools, share stories and advice, and get their parenting questions answered. A Webby Award-winning site, GreatSchools is now expanding its reach and impact with its College Bound initiative. The GreatSchools website also features tips on avoiding the summer ‘brain drain’, a shopping guide for affordable school supplies, and a back-to-school quiz to help families get off to a smart start. For more information, please visit http://www.greatschools.org.

Guest Article: Back to School with ADHD

The following article, full of timely and valuable tips for all those Cool Moms who face the additional challenges of school-age kids with ADHD, is part of the Cool Moms Rule! Back to School Bonanza series. ~Viv

Back to School with ADHD

by Jeanne Gehret, M.A.

September 13-20 is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Week. When I mentioned this to the mother of a child with attention problems, she laughed. "I wish I only had to think about ADHD one week a year," she said. "For us, it's a year-round concern. I guess this refers to when it's uppermost in our minds because of starting school."

I agreed. More than any other time, September's when we parents of kids with ADHD establish the accommodations necessary for our children to survive and thrive in school. In truth, however, our efforts continue all year long. As the parent of a child with ADHD, you can help your youngster transition comfortably and successfully into a new school year by asking yourself these four questions:

What new people or routines will my child encounter this year?
How can I prepare my child to do well in each setting?
How can I help the adults in each setting deal effectively with my child?
What can I do at home to support my child's educational goals?

In answering these questions, here are some suggestions.

Ten ways to help make school great this year for your ADHD child:

1. Meet the teacher(s) as early in the school year as possible. Establish yourself as the child's advocate who has your youngster's interests at heart and is willing to cooperate for the best academic experience. Mention previous classroom accommodations and techniques that worked. Even if your youngster has an individualized education plan or 504 plan, don't hesitate to mention the highlights. This helps teachers use effective strategies from day one, even if they haven't had time yet to sort through documentation.

2. Exchange email addresses and phone numbers with the teacher, and establish preferred contact times. Whether your contact is daily, weekly, or monthly, it is best to check in regularly, even when things seem to be going well. This allows you to smooth out bumps on the path before they become roadblocks.

3. Give your child something to boost his confidence such as a popular new item of clothing, encouraging notes from home in his lunch, or a worry stone. For older kids, a motivational bookmark or a special photo may prompt a smile.

4. Know your school's processes for getting help for children who are having difficulties in school. Does the teacher or school do academic screening? When the screening process identifies children as having difficulties, who provides the services? Once interventions are in place, how long before the child's progress is re-checked? What methods are used for monitoring progress?

5. If your child takes medication for ADHD, notify the teacher and the nurse. Make sure that your child knows when and where to go for his daily dosage. When starting meds or changing doses, be sure to let the school know. Have a clear conversation with your youngster about if and how to explain to others why he takes meds.

6. If you have after-school childcare, make sure your child knows how to get there and is familiar with the surroundings. Visit the childcare facility with your youngster before his first official day there and let the staff know of ADHD issues and any medications.

7. Think of ways to form bonds with classmates -- parties, trips to a playground, or walking to the bus stop. Make your home inviting to other children. When your youngster socializes at home, you can monitor any ADHD problems and help when needed.

8. Minimize distractions at home so that you can focus on your child's adjustment to school. Be pro-active about scheduling physicals, buying school supplies, and getting prescriptions refilled. For the first few weeks of school, cut down on non-academic disruptions like visiting relatives, shopping, major cleaning projects, remodeling, and visits to the vet.

9. Establish a school-year routine. Make a list of no more than five things that your child must do each day after school, such as reviewing with you what's in his backpack, doing his homework, and returning his completed homework to the backpack. When kids are prepared, they become confident and free to focus their attention on doing their best.

10. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep. If she takes stimulant medication, you may need to adjust the timing of the dosage so that she can relax at night. Other helpful bedtime routines may include story time, relaxing music, a foot rub, and special blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals.

If you suspect your child has ADHD, or other learning difficulties, make sure to address it immediately. See #4 above and be proactive.
I'm not making any promises. But if you attend to these ten issues by the end of ADHD Awareness Week, you may enjoy a day, even a season, when ADHD is not front and center on the refrigerator of your mind.


Jeanne Gehret is the parent of a child with ADHD and learning disabilities and is the author of three picture books that comprise The Coping Series from Verbal Images Press. Eagle Eyes includes a song for getting ready for school and other coping mechanisms that Ben uses after he's diagnosed with ADHD. Houdini's Gift shows Ben using a reward chart as motivation to complete his daily responsibilities. The Don't-give-up Kid describes the invention devised by very creative boy while he discovers and copes with his dyslexia. For more on these books, see www.ksblinks.com. To learn about ADHD Awareness Week, see www.chadd.org.

What's New With Cool Moms Rule? Back to School!

My kids started school yesterday.

That's right, yesterday, the most ridiculously early day ever for starting school in Florida. I mean, it's literally a hundred degrees out here today, people!

The boys are doing fine, actually getting up on time this morning, too, and they seem to like their teachers okay (though pre-calculus has the Owl a bit worried). This is the Rhino's first year in high school, and he is taking it in stride. The Owl, of course, is an old hat at this, though even he had some excitement on their first day, in the form of an (impressively mature) classmate, new to our school and to Florida, who came into the Owl's first period class yesterday, announced, "I have seizure issues," explained how to deal with the situation in case something happened, and then, unfortunately, succumbed to a serious seizure in the classroom.

He was taken to the hospital and even returned to school later in the day (I am really admiring this kid's courage), and the Owl appears unfazed by the incident, though he did relate the account with a little more ghoulish relish than I would like.

I told him to make sure he is there for the kid, because I imagine if he was stressed out yesterday, and that contributed to the seizure, coming back today and dealing with everyone's curiosity is going to be tough.

BUT.

The rest of you, I hope, start school at a more reasonable date?

Good.

Because tomorrow, we are starting our Back to School Bonanza!

We'll be running a series of posts to help you prepare for the coming school year, including some quick and easy recipes, and tips to help you maybe save some bucks this time around.

Oh, and of course there will be a giveaway or two!

Which reminds me, it's time to announce the winners to our two recent giveaways today!

That's coming next, promise.

RuMe Lunch Bags Even Please the Tweens

Just look at these images. Aren't these bags gorgeous?! Seems almost wasteful to give these to your kids, doesn't it?

But that's okay, because they're not wasteful at all. RuMe mini bags, like those pictured, are reusable, not to mention *machine* washable! They are really eco-friendly.

And they can hold up to 30 lbs, which is just enough for my growing boys (the Rhino is taller than ME now!). ;) They tell me that means that each bag could hold 40 tennis balls (though why they chose tennis balls I don't know. Makes you wonder what the folks are doing over there at RuME, doesn't it?).

But, to get to my point, it isn't the cool colors and prints or the re-usability or even the machine washability (I just made that word up) that makes the RuMe bags so cool.

It's this: even though they hold so much, RuMe mini bags fold down to the size of a *business card."

Yes, really! They get that tiny.



RuMe bags sent me a few samples (which is fantastic, because I was looking for lunch bags my tween and teen would think were "cool" enough to actually use), and these things really do roll down to the size of a business card. They even have velcro fasteners to hold them closed when they are full, which also keep them tidy and tiny when they're folded up and empty.

These bags are, in a word, perfect for us around the Cool Mom household! I really was at my wits' end, because the new school year is starting, and The Rhino doesn't want to take his backpack into lunch, but he is now too cool (and too hungry) to carry his lunch in a little paper bag or a lunch box. And I couldn't find a solution that would fit the bill. Most lunch bags were too small and yet too bulky to carry around with all of his other stuff.

But now, with the RuMe mini bag, we have the perfect solution. We can fit it into his backpack (it holds a lot but is not bulky at all), and he can just then fold it up and slip it back into his pocket when he's done eating lunch.

I can recommend the RuMe bags to you without any reservations whatsoever, and I wanted to make sure you knew that they have LOTS of different patterns and colors, suitable for boys AND girls.

You can check out the RuMe mini bags here!

Product Review: Germ-X Advanced Protection Foaming Hand Sanitizer

It's rarely that I so look forward to testing a product for review here on Cool Moms Rule as I did testing this one out, and here's why: as you know if you've been following the site's posts, my kids started school last week. And every Mom knows that lots of exposure + lots of kids = lots of germs. And that means sick kids.

Sure enough, the very first day of school both of my boys came home with tales of--Eww!--kids throwing up. The very first day! And of course they don't want to get sick like that. And my advice to them is always, "Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!" We follow the "Happy Birthday" rule for hand-washing: sing the Birthday song all the way through once and you've washed your hands for twenty seconds. Or at least, I follow the rule, and they are supposed to. But, hey, these are boys we are talking about. And maybe they don't always wash their hands as well as they should (all of you Moms of girls out there, I see you smirking).

So, using a hand sanitizer like Germ-X Advanced Protection helps me hedge my bets against infection. I know that when we were on a cruise, they had hand sanitizing stations to help keep down the spread of infection. And according to the American Journal of Infection Control, "Studies have shown a decrease in the average sick time of students who use hand sanitizers as a part of their hand hygiene regimen."

And Germ-X has gone one better and made theirs fun to use, by making it foamy. Consider this: what isn't better when it's foamy? Whipped cream is better than plain old cream. Bubble bath is better than bath soap. And foaming hand sanitizer just feels so indulgent that you focus on that pampering feeling, rather than the whole germ-killing aspect.

Some other added features that Moms will appreciate: this hand sanitizer is not alcohol-based. Instead, it uses, "benzalkonium chloride (the same stuff found in eyewashes and surface cleaners) to kill 99.9 percent of common germs." In light of recent concerns concerning small children accidentally ingesting quantities of alcohol from simple household products, the Germ-X Advanced Protection Foaming Hand Sanitizer offers another option. In addition, it has Vitamin E to keep hands soft and moisturized (which my boys wouldn't care a fig about, but I certainly appreciate), and a nice, fresh scent (nothing too fruity or floral for my boys, and not that nasty hospital-disinfectant smell).

In retrospect, this has been one of these easiest product reviews I've ever written!

Germ-X Advanced Protection Foaming Hand Sanitizer Final Grade: A +