Right about now back to school supply lists are cropping up everywhere. Staples usually has brightly colored fliers available with supply lists for each grade level, and almost every office supply store advertises having just exactly what you're child will need to get the new school year started. This advertising unfortunately happens well before teachers actually send out supply lists from the classrooms, and every year kids come to school with heaps of supplies they really don't need-and often, are missing a few that they could really use.

Here's the thing. Most public schools, including the one I teach at, are not actually allowed to require parents to provide any supplies at all for their children. The thing about public education is that it's supposed to be free-including materials. But because of the advertising pressure that starts mid summer and builds with a frenzy towards those last weeks in August when schools start, parents often get pushed into buying items their kids don't really need and will likely not use-or even be allowed to use at school.

Private schools of course, are allowed to request that parents buy supplies, but it's still a frugal idea to wait until the required supply list arrives in the mail, than to forge ahead using an in store checklist. But if your kid is already itching to buy new stuff, here are some basic dos and don'ts to help you decide what's necessary and what maybe isn't't.

DOS:

A sturdy backpack. Something that your child can zip and unzip himself with enough pockets to store homework, lunch, and an extra piece of clothing (or several.) Many kids like the rolling backpacks-but they often are hard to store in the classrooms, as they're typically too big for cubbies.

#2 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. These are unanimously teacher's favorite pencils for writing-because they don't break in the sharpener! Don't skimp on the cheaper brands-but remember, if your child attends a public school, pencils should be provided. Still, a couple extra (sharpened) pencils that stay in your child's backpack will make it convenient for her to do homework while waiting for the bus.

Big eraser. The small erasers on the back of pencils inevitably get used much faster than the pencils. The big pink erasers are the best option. Some of the jelly-like erasers with designs and patterns on them don't actually erase very well.

A sturdy folder for homework. A system at home for checking backpacks, doing and returning homework-is a great idea. Having a consistent place to store homework will make it easier for your child to remember to do it! Kids love the two-pocket folders with fun graphics on the covers. Keep in mind, many teachers will use a particular homework folder for every child in the class-so check with your child's teacher if you're not completely sure you want to make the purchase.

A small, durable pencil case. Again, your child's teacher will likely provide the class with necessary supply containers. However, it's a great thing for your child to keep in her backpack with a few sharpened pencils and a good eraser-to take advantage of long waits for the school bus, or for you to pick her up, and get some homework done.

A notebook/journal. Kids love to doodle, write, and draw-and having a special notebook gives them a constructive and fun place to do so. Again, certainly not a must-have, but if you're going to splurge on an item your kid really wants, this one should be at the top of the list.

DON'TS:

Pencil sharpeners. Unless your teacher specifically asks you to provide one, skip it. They inevitably make a huge mess-everywhere.

Multiple-subject notebooks. For the early grades these are completely unnecessary. For the older grades, wait and see exactly what your child's teacher asks you to supply. Many times little kids end up hauling these around in their backpacks for weeks-without using them for anything!

Glue sticks & tape. Again, unless your teacher specifically asks you to provide these items, don't. Unless you send them in for the whole class---which is often a boon for teachers working with tight budgets. Independent kids with glue sticks however, can make a mess and get into trouble by using them when they aren't't supposed to be.

Rulers. Elementary age kids will not need rulers for school. Every classroom should have an adequate supply. Middle school kids doing geometry might, but again, your child's teacher will be very clear if you need to make that purchase.

Stapler. See above. And oy, have you ever noticed how much young children LOVE to staple EVERYTHING?

Post-it Notes. These are tempting-especially in all the cute styles and designs that are available. But they immediately become a distraction among peers, and are generally not a good idea.

Binders. Most elementary students (K-3) won't need a binder for any reason. Older students who are learning how to keep notes, or do homework from multiple classes might, but your child's teacher will let you know if this is a must have.

Scissors. Again-all elementary classrooms should have an adequate supply.

Crayons. Ditto. Every elementary classroom will have plenty of these!

Hopefully this list will help you navigate the lively process of buying back-to-school supplies with your child. These are tips of course, from my experience. I'm curious to hear what you have found are some back-to-school supply must-haves?

I have a memory from when the twins were about 2-years-old--I was past the intense worry of any relapse that would send us back to the NICU, and I'd finished reading everything I could find about Down syndrome. I began to poke my head up and look about and wonder, What are other families with kids with Down syndrome like? It was this curiosity that brought me to my first special needs play date at our local Child Development Center.

I remember rushing out the door, after spending too much time looking for an inexplicably missing shoe. I remember feeling nervous at the thought of meeting new people, especially other moms. Several times, I nearly turned the car around and headed home. Even in the parking lot, when I could see that a small circle of women had already gathered, I was overcome with doubt, thinking, Why did I agree to do this? and then telling myself, "It's for the kids; it's for Avery." But of course, it didn't turn out that way.

All these thoughts were familiar, and reminded me of my very first play group with my oldest son Carter. Both times, there was a wicker laundry basket in the middle of the room, filled with board books and stuffed animals and a Little People Yellow School Bus and bright Duplo blocks and a Lights and Sounds Shape Sorter. Nearby, there was an assortment of cookies and juice boxes. A mountain of shoes and jackets were piled in a corner, next to a stack of empty baby carriers and a line of parked strollers.

Other things were familiar: introductions, including the names of the children. The questions: "How many kids do you have? and "How old is your baby?" and "Where did you deliver?" Later, mostly told quietly, birth stories.

But these birth stories included a part about getting a diagnosis. Sometimes they were sad; other times they told of great relief in having an answer. The stories often referenced medical terms, and things like monitors and IV lines and extended hospital stays, even surgeries on tiny newborns.

The conversations covered practical matters, like PT, OT, ST. SSI, SSA, Early Intervention. Low tone versus high tone. Ear tubes, vitamin therapy. Dry skin, thyroid tests. And theoretical matters, too, like how prenatal diagnosis impacts the rights of the unborn, or how sibling relationships are affected by disability, or how various cultures view children and adults with visible differences.

The same, in both groups: mother guilt ("Am I doing enough?"); striving for balance ("Sometimes I feel overwhelmed."); and love ("I can't imagine my life without my child.") Both times, the hours passed too quickly, resulting in a mad dash to match shoes to feet, coats to kids until everyone was headed out the door, back to real life.

What I've come to realize is no less true for its obviousness: the play groups are as much for the moms as they are for the kids. It's a place where women can meet, if only briefly, with other moms who might share similar experiences--who might come to their mothering with common reference points.

Increasingly, I've been finding those shared experiences by connecting with other mothers online. Our words are what defines us; I'm drawn to the woman whose son might have a different diagnosis than mine, but her outlook on parenting feels like my own. Or a family halfway across the world, living in Australia--but they, too, have one older sibling and a set of twins, one with Down syndrome, one without. Sharing our stories--across the miles, across time--enables me to see our connectedness, our common bonds as families.

In the spirit of sharing, here are two sites that I love: Can I Sit With You? is an ongoing book and blog project that explores "The Stormy Social Seas of the Schoolyard." It's a collaborative effort fueled by donations of time and talent, and all proceeds are used to fund a local Special Needs PTA.

And identical twin sisters Janice and Susan, founders of 5 Minutes for Mom, recently launched 5 Minutes for Special Needs, edited by Tammy, who writes about her experiences mothering a medically fragile boy with Down syndrome at Praying for Parker. It's a group blog where parents of kids with special needs can find "support, insight, and inspiration."

What I've found, in all these instances--online and in person--is the value in telling our stories, to each other and because of each other. There we find strength, we find solace, we find commonalities. But mostly, we find ourselves.

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Gas prices, food prices, a lazy stock market, heck, even my dog's food increased in price significantly last month. There's no denying it, the cost of every day living is on the rise, and families are feeling it in their pocketbooks. That might not be good news to retailers, most of whom are gearing up right now for the back-to-school season. A whopping 90% of parents who completed an online survey said that they'd change their shopping habits this year, while 71% said they'd spend less, and 83% said they'd cut back on new clothes.

I can almost hear the protesting teenagers now.

As a mom and a grown woman, the pragmatic me says, "Kids don't need new clothes in July (or September, for that matter). Why not wait until they weather cools down, or even until Christmas?" The teenager who still lives inside of me, though, cringes. I remember needing that "perfect" outfit for the first day of school. My own daughter is young enough to be thrilled by a new backpack and some sharp looking pencils (as well as the dozen other items her teacher will likely require), but I know my day is coming when how much we spend on school clothes will be an issue at my house.

Will your back-to-school budget be affected by the economy this year?

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Playgrounds have changed a lot since I was a kid. Metal play equipment bolted onto hard concrete pads are a thing of the past. Today, playgrounds are made to be safe, with plastic equipment set atop cushioned surfaces designed to make sure nobody gets hurt while having a good time. For the most part, the changes are a good thing. But while kids may not be leaving layers of skin behind on the boiling hot slides or pavement, the sun can still heat a playground up to a dangerous level.

Anne Casson, a mom in Brooklyn, found this out when her toddler son's bare foot met the rubber safety mat covering a Brooklyn, New York playground. "He stepped onto the black mats and was screaming hysterically," Casson said. "When I picked him up, the skin was just hanging off his feet." That poor child spent four days in the hospital on morphine.

Although a spokesperson for New York's Parks Department says there were no similar incidents reported at any of the city's other playgrounds, doctors say it isn't uncommon. Two city hospital burn units say they see 16-18 young patients each year suffering from playground burns, mostly from the mats placed under junglegyms and slides.

In the hot summer months, those rubber mats can heat up to 165 degrees or more - hot enough to burn the skin in seconds. The city of New York insists their playgrounds are safe and that they have no plans to remove the mats or replace them with the CPSC- recommended lighter-colored ones.

Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates is outraged. "It is unconscionable that the city continues to install products in playgrounds that hurt the most vulnerable park users - small children," he said. "How many more have to get hurt until someone is held accountable?"

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Here's the good news: Disney is finally creating their first African-American princess. Here's the bad news: They just can't seem to get it right. The first version, The Frog Princess, was scrapped due to complaints that it was too stereotypical. The princess, named Maddy, was to be a chambermaid who worked for a spoiled white woman. Maddy is saved from a voodoo magician by a white prince, with help from her voodoo fairy godmother.

Disney's second version -- The Princess and the Frog --is still a musical set in New Orleans, but the company is keeping mum on most of the details. The heroine will be a 19-year-old named Tiana, and the film will be set in the Jazz Age. Disney says, "Princess Tiana will be a heroine in the great tradition of Disney's rich animated fairy tale legacy, and all other characters and aspects of the story will be treated with the greatest respect and sensitivity." Let's all hope they do exactly that.



Though my girls have gone in and out of the Disney princess phase, because one arm of our family is Ojibwe, we've never let them see Pocahontas. Unlike Cinderella, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty, for example, Pocahontas was a real person, and Disney didn't do history any favors when they fictionalized the events that took place. Though Tiana isn't a historical figure, I really do hope that Disney pays attention to the opportunity they have in front of them, and turn out a movie that's sensitive, appropriate, and fun, all a the same time.

(via Jezebel)

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Feist's hit song 1234 might not be what you want to use to teach your little one to count -- she leaves out a couple numbers on the way to ten. For an upcoming appearance on Sesame Street, however, she's changed the lyrics to focus on learning to count just to four. Stick with what you know, I say. In advance of the clip appearing on the show, it's made its way to YouTube.

Of course, Feist isn't the only celebrity to show up on Sesame Street. I remember seeing Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Billy Joel on the show when I was younger. Now that I have kids of my own, there have been even more great performances -- Ladysmith Black Mambazo, REM, Norah Jones, and Denyce Graves, to name a few.

Feist apparently enjoyed her performance with the Muppets an awful lot -- she told reporters at the Juno awards that "it was the best day of my life. I'm sorry Junos, but the Muppets trump everything!" Who could blame her, after all? Once upon a time, performing at Carnegie Hall was the hallmark of success, but if you ask me, getting to be on Sesame Street beats that hands -- or flippers, or paws, or whatever -- down.

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President George Bush has signed into law the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which is designed to prevent kids from being burned or otherwise injured from gasoline. The Act requires portable gasoline containers to conform to child resistance safety requirements already in place for other flammable liquids. This new requirement applies to containers manufactured for sale in the United States on or after January 17, 2009.

"Families who purchase gasoline cans with child resistant gas caps and who keep all flammable liquids out of the sight and reach of children are improving the safety of their homes," said Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Nancy Nord.

Keep your kids safe around gasoline by following this tips, courtesy of CPSC:

• Buy a gasoline container that is child resistant.
• Place a gasoline container in a well ventilated, cool area.
• Never store gasoline or other fuel inside the house, in the basement, or near a fuel-burning appliance, open flames, pilot lights, stoves, heaters, electric mowers, or any other sources of ignition.
• Never smoke near gasoline.
• Never carry gasoline in the trunk of the car. Escaping vapors can easily ignite.
• Keep gasoline, kerosene and other fuels out of the reach of children. Never permit children to play with matches or fuel.

The Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act was introduced to Congress by Dennis Moore, D-Kansas, after he learned of a tragic accident involving two children in his state. A four-year-old boy died and his younger brother was permanently scarred after they opened a gas can and spilled its contents near a hot water heater.

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After a bedtime routine of bath, brushing teeth, and book reading, my daughters still often resist settling in under getting under the covers and settling in for the night. So we started a new routine where, once they are tucked in and quiet, we turn off all the lights and I read them a few pages from a chapter book (with my booklight). Not only does this give them incentive to get settled into bed, I figure, they're imaginations get a workout as they try to picture the story in their heads. Last week, my three-year-old pulled out Stuart Little. I wasn't sure if they were ready for it yet, but they seem mesmerized by the story so far, and it's so much fun to sink back into an old children's classic.

Stuart Little has delighted children for decades, but did you know that the book got off to a rocky start? The New Yorker has an excellent piece about the relationship between E.B. White, his wife Katherine, and book reviewer Anne Carroll Moore. Moore is credited with creating the idea of a children's library and story time, and became a powerful influence in children's literature. Though she pushed White for years to finish his book, once the manuscript was finished she fought its publication. Saying "I was never so disappointed in a book in my life," and that it had been written by "a sick mind," she refused to order it for the New York Public Library, and therefore influences libraries across the nation as well.

It's a story that's nearly as interesting as the book itself. Parents with an interest in children's literature, classics, or even the history of the New York City Library will find this piece of the past engrossing.

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Three-year-old Caitlin Powell was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome, a rare disease that will, according to her doctors, bring her life to a close before she's a teenager. Now, most parents, upon hearing such news, would continue with their lives while trying to make their child as comfortable and as happy as possible.

Not so Ben and Emma Powell. They weren't content with the idea of taking their daughter to the local park after work and on weekends; instead, they wanted to fill her remaining years with more joy and excitement than most people experience in a normal lifespan. So they started making sacrifices. The quit or cut back on their careers so as to have more time with Caitlin and then sold their house to have the funds to do so.

10 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up

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First up on their itinerary is Disney World in Florida and, while they're there, swimming with dolphins. Then they'll hit a couple of theme parks back home in England along with the Scottish Highlands. Next year, they'll hit the African continent for a safari. "She won't be with us for very long so myself and Ben have made a conscious decision to make every day special for her from now on," says Emma Powell. "Caitlin's happiness is our motivation."

One of my few regrets is that I didn't take out a second mortgage in order to take my dad on a trip to his native Germany before he died. It sounds like the Powells won't have the same regrets. Kudos to them for putting their daughter first.

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Bluetooth headsets -- the little wireless telephone gadgets -- are all the rage these days, even more so now that some sort of hands free device is required by law in order to use a cellphone while driving in California. At first, advocates for the deaf thought the fad was a good thing because it would make kids with cochlear implants stand out less.

The implants consist of two parts -- an internal, surgically implanted receiver and an external unit with a microphone, computer, and transmitter. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the bluetooth craze -- the units get stolen right off of people's heads. While it must suck to have a $50 or $100 cellphone accessory stolen, having a $6,000 device that lets a kid hear stolen is downright terrible.

But that's what has happened to three-year-old Jose Franco -- twice. Jose was only two when he received his cochlear implant and the device has helped him learn to speak (he's even bilingual) and sing. One day, while shopping at a grocery store, someone snatched the external unit from his head and took off with it. His mother, Hilda Giron, left him with a cashier and chased the thieves. She didn't catch the boys, but she did find the earpiece in the parking lot, still intact.

Last week, however, two teenagers grabbed the headset while Jose and his mother were having lunch at McDonald's. This time, the crooks got away. Luckily, Jose has a backup unit, but his family will be responsible for replacing the lost device. It's bad enough to take away someone's bicycle or iPod or even their computer, but to take away a child's hearing is a special kind of horrible. Hopefully, the thieves will realize that what they stole is of no use to anyone but little Jose and return it.

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A new small study has found that television, even when only on as background noise, has a "small but real" affect on the way young children play. Researchers found that when playing in a room with a TV on -- they used Jeopardy, a program they thought the children would have little interest in -- children tended to stop playing and watch the TV now and then, shortening the intensity and length of their play. This finding is in conflict with former studies that found that young children don't pay attention to TV that they don't understand.

When my older daughter was only a toddler, she used to ask us to turn off the TV while she played. She said once, "It makes me watch it," meaning that she couldn't take her eyes off of the TV when it was on. It surprised me, because, like those old studies, I figured if she didn't understand it she wouldn't watch. Now we have a no-TV rule during the day, unless we're sitting down to specifically watch a program. A lot of parents really like to have television on as background noise during the day, however, to listen to as they go about their activities.

So will TV's influence on your child's play affect them long term? This study isn't broad enough to prove that, but plenty of research has gone into how TV affects children. KidsHealth does a good job of rounding up some of that research, and offers tips to parents who want to limit TV time in their home.

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Tired of having to lie down with your kid every night to get them to fall asleep? Try this trick instead.

My son Jared's beloved stuffed Mickey Mouse went to the Mickey Doctor and by the time Jared came home from school, Mickey was waiting there for him, as good as new. Of course, there's no such thing as a Mickey Doctor -- Mickey looked as good as new because he was new, bought off eBay and switched for the original was Jared was in school. That's just one of the many lies I've told my kids over the years.

But is lying to your kids a good idea? The answer, of course, is that it depends. Victoria Talwar, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal says that the occasional white lie won't hurt. "If you buy into Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, what's another here and there?" What you have to watch out for, however, is that it doesn't become habitual and that you're not teaching your kids to lie.

According to Talwar, kids as young as three know if you're lying to them. "They're definitely influenced by their parents," she says. "If the parents' lie, the kids will pick that up more as a strategy. They learn it as a way to manipulate and get what they want or conceal things they want to get out of."

Parenting is tough; perhaps the occasional white lie is a good thing. On the other hand, perhaps honesty really is the best policy.

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He's an elite soccer star, one half of a popular celebrity couple, and one heck of an underwear model. But David Beckham is also a dad and a soccer coach. This summer, Becks is showing his softer side by taking on a new challenge -- Oscar the Grouch. The new Sesame Street season starts on August 11th and Posh's hubby will guest star. He's rumored to go head-to-head with the green, grouchy puppet in what promises to be a hilarious scene.

Says a source, "He loves dealing with kids and thought it would be a great way to get through to them." I think this is a great way for David to make himself more approachable to kids, especially those who idolize his work on the soccer field.

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Though I spent a dozen years working in special education classrooms with preschoolers and toddlers, it never once crossed my mind that the dolls my students were playing with in the housekeeping area often looked nothing like the kids themselves. They were just kids playing with dolls, doing what kids do, even if those kids had diagnoses that other children didn't -- Down's syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy.

But some doll makers, many of them parents of special needs children themselves, think that children with disabilities might benefit from having a doll that looks like them. And so they created dolls like these. With the best of intentions, I believe, they made dolls with Down's syndrome, including a heart surgery scar, dolls who have been through chemo, bald and with a catheter port, dolls in wheelchairs, dolls with leg braces.

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