* Start a homework routine. Set a certain schedule for your child to do homework every day. If there is no homework assigned for the day, encourage your child to study and review the week’s assignments. Constantly reviewing information helps to instill the knowledge in your child’s brain, thereby helping them to gain better insight into the lessons.

* Sleep is important because it allows your brain to recharge itself. If your child does not get enough sleep, it will affect their performance in school and out of school. Sleep is necessary for the body to function properly so make sure your child gets at least eight hours of sleep each night.

* Take an interest in your child’s academics. It may have been a long time since you were in school, but you should still be able to check your child’s homework and assist them when necessary. Reading with children is a good way to spark interest in learning; it is also a good way to spend quality time with your child in a low-key manner.

* Keep your child organized when it comes to school activities. Have your child carry a planner for teachers to record assignments in. Also, keep a wall calendar in your house with your child’s schedule and assignments. This will help to avoid any missing assignments and will also let you know how frequently your child studies.

Helping your child to succeed in school is one of your biggest jobs as a parent. Without establishing a routine in the household for both homework and bedtime, it can be very easy for a child to lose interest in school work. Not getting enough sleep and not being organized can affect your child’s function in school as well. By utilizing the top tips you are helping to establish your child’s academic success.

* Make sure your child knows his or her teacher’s name. This will help ease the fears of not knowing where to go. If your child gets lost, another teacher can easily guide your child to the right place. If your child happens to forget their teacher’s name, they can still get help from another teacher who will likely guide them to the main office.

* Most schools send home a checklist of items that children will need to bring on their first day of school. Review the checklist and pack your child’s backpack a few days before school begins. You can double-check the backpack the night before to ensure your child has not removed any of the items.

* Sit down with your child and explain in simple terms what the first day of school is going to be like. While you may not be able to remember as far back as your first day of kindergarten, as a parent your child relies on you to ease any fears they may have. Allow your children to ask questions about their first day at school and answer them as best as you can.

* If possible, take your child to school on that first day of kindergarten. Your child may feel more at ease if he or she has you to direct them to the proper location. Be aware that your child may panic when you have to leave and the experience may be hard on you as well.

* Make sure your child has an emergency contact card to present to the teachers. This card is important because it will have all of the necessary information for your child’s school to contact you should they need to. Also ensure that your child knows or has your home phone number written down. This way they can contact you if the need arises.

It is very easy to get caught up in your child’s first day of school which can be a nerve-racking experience for both parents and children. You can help to ensure your child gets off to a great start by making sure they are prepared. If you cannot take your child to school on that first day, make sure they know their teacher’s name and where they will be going.

Fill out all emergency contact information and make sure the information reaches your child’s teacher. Also be sure that your children know their home phone number so they can contact you if the need arises. Be sure to congratulate your child on a job well done after they arrive home.

Shopping at outlet stores can ease up on your budget without sacrificing your teen’s wants. There is also the opportunity to make your children’s clothing if you are handy with a sewing machine. Use these bargain tips to give your children a cool back to school wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Shopping at outlet stores such as TJ Maxx or Marshalls can help cut back the cost of buying designer clothes. Closeout stores such as these purchase the leftover products from designers at a lower price so they are able to pass the savings on to you, the consumer. In addition to designer clothes, backpacks can be found at decent prices at these outlet stores as well.

If you are handy with a sewing machine, it is possible to make your children’s clothes yourself. To make it a family activity, involve your children in picking out fabrics and designing them with rhinestones and such after they have been completed. Involving your children in the process will help them to be proud and enthusiastic about wearing their clothing. In addition, you can be sure your children’s clothes will be unique and not carbon copies of other children’s clothing.

Second-hand shops usually carry a good variety of clothing. Before shopping in outlet stores, check out any local second-hand shops in your area. Since most of the proceeds go to charity, you will be helping out local organizations and saving money at the same time. You cannot go wrong there.

You can also accept hand-me-downs from other family members who have children your age or older. Many times clothes are only worn a few times before children grow out of them and family members are happy to share them instead of throwing the clothing out. If you have nieces or nephews that have outgrown clothing, consider asking their parents if you could have the clothing instead of letting it go to waste.

One last option is to budget for school clothes; buy a little at a time instead of all at once. It is perfectly fine to start your child off with just a few outfits and then build up the wardrobe over the course of the school year. Save up money over the summer while your child is out of school and you will be prepared when the time to do school shopping approaches.

Shopping for cool school clothes does not have to be a wallet cruncher. There are many places you can shop around and find bargains on designer clothes. If you cannot afford to buy designer clothes, even at a discount, you can involve your children and make their clothes for them if you are savvy with a sewing machine. If you budget properly over the summer and build up your child’s wardrobe little by little, you will not break the bank in one shopping trip.

It’s not unusual for babies to go through a period of being shy as they’re beginning to speak, between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. The problem occurs when they don’t out grow that stage. Helping your child overcome shyness is best started whenever you realize they need help, so it’s never too late.

Attachment to a parent is one cause for shyness in babies and toddlers. Older children may be teased or criticized which leads them to shy away from social situations. While being shy may be good in that those shy children misbehave less, being shy means your child will likely have fewer friends, avoid situations where they’d be in the public eye, and often feel lonely. Shy children can also develop anxiety problems as teens as well as gastrointestinal issues.

Since children learn most by what they experience and by copying those around them, it’s always good to set a good example. How you respond or act in social situations can often determine how your child will act.

Initiate conversations rather than waiting for someone else to do it. Talk to and be friendly with the people you see at the grocery store. Introduce yourself when you meet new people. Although it’s wise to teach your child to not talk to strangers, help them realize that if you’re with them it’s alright to do so. Be willing to help people and join in social events.

Try to prepare your child for social situations such as birthday parties, family reunions, or visits to the doctor. Explain how there will be people who will want to speak with them and that you expect them to respond. Give them the opportunity to talk about their feelings to help ease their anxiety.

Give your child positive reinforcement. Tell them how much you appreciate a certain trait, that you’re glad they are your child, and give praise when they’ve had a success. Keep the lines of communication open and really listen to what your child has to say. They may find talking to you or another caring adult will make overcoming shyness easier.

Try to role play with your child if they’re going to be experiencing a new social situation. Pretend to be a stranger and start talking to them. Encourage them to ‘play along’ so they’ll have a chance to practice.

Avoid the inclination to answer for your child when they’re spoken to. In fact, allowing your child to do things for themselves in social situations will bolster their confidence even if they do stutter or stammer. Don’t allow their ‘shyness’ to be used as an excuse for getting out of situations they don’t like or doing things they don’t want to do.

You may know about how shyness can affect your life if you were shy as a child. Teach your child to be able to speak up. You can use some of these ideas or seek professional help. They know how to help your child overcome shyness but if you’re diligent to encourage them, they may be able to overcome it on their own.

The easiest, and probably the best, babysitter is someone who you already know and trust to keep your child. This could be a parent or other family member. You may also want to ask a friend who you know and who has a good rapport with the child. However, sometimes it’s simply not possible to get a family member or friend to keep your child.

Talk to your family, friends and co-workers. They may have suggestions for child care. Whether or not they decide to share their favorite babysitter with you, they may have other ideas or know of other people who are good with children and available to sit for you.

Call your church or synagogue, if you attend, to see if there are people they can recommend. They may have a pool of people they call on should they need sitting services during church events. The benefit of going through a church or synagogue is that they’ve checked anyone they would allow to work with children.

Local colleges or high school counselors may also be a good source for potential babysitters. Many have departments or classes for people interested in caring for children. Education and child development majors are already learning to care for children – why not allow one to get to practice in their chosen field.

Obviously a newborn or infant is going to need different care than one who is a toddler, preschooler or older. For very young children you would probably want a sitter who is older and has more experience dealing with children that age. Children who are older may be fine with an older, responsible teen watching them.

Conduct an interview with the potential sitter. Discuss their experience, whether or not they’ve been trained in first aid and CPR, and what pay they expect to receive. You’ll also want to discuss any other things which concern you. Ask them which age children they prefer and why, what they would do in emergencies, and how they would enforce family rules.

Ask for and check references carefully. They should be happy to provide this information to you. If they become offended by your request and won’t provide references, you probably don’t want them to keep your children. Verify their training, if possible.

Set up a time before they sit for them to meet your children. Children are a great judge of character so watch how they react to the potential sitter. Pay attention to how they react with your children. Do they get down on the floor to play with dolls or sit on the couch and watch from a distance?

Plan a trial babysitting time. Have the sitter come to your house for an hour or so while you run to the store. While you’re supposed to be gone, pop back in and see how things are going. If you’re satisfied that they’re taking good care of your children, don’t feel bad about leaving again.

Using these tips to find the right babysitter can help tremendously. However, if you’re still not sure and your children are verbal, ask them what they think of the potential sitter. You may be surprised at their answer.

Communicate Expectations – Tell your teen in a nonthreatening but firm manner that you will not accept their staying in bed all morning and afternoon. It is perfectly reasonable to ask that they get up at a decent hour. Explain that you want them to do more than merely watch TV, play video games, or visit social networking sites all day.

If your teen wants you to help pay for their summer activities, they should be willing to abide by a few summer guidelines. Set an age appropriate, specific time that you expect them to be home, based upon the level of trust they have earned. Ask them to take on a couple of extra chores during the summer to earn some pocket money. These chores could be for you or someone else, but make sure they go above and beyond the normal, everyday chores that every member of the family should be expected to do.

Get Them Engaged – Whether you ask them to help you more around the house, participate in volunteer activities in the community, or help them get a job, you want them to be engaged in something worthwhile. Give them encouragement to help at a YMCA, children’s program, or nursing home. They may find they truly enjoy these volunteer activities and you will help them appreciate the joys of serving others that will last a lifetime.

Help them find volunteer positions by calling around to local places of worship, daycares, charities, or nursing homes. Local businesses may be hiring summer help; offer to help them find a job to earn some extra money. This will help them learn to manage money, but will also help them realize the value of their time. If they get paid by the hour, they might be less likely to fritter their time away.

Spend Family Time – Avoid giving lectures about what they should do during the summer. (Lectures, period, are ineffective with teens.) Instead, find activities that you can do with them. You don’t have to spend every waking moment with your teen, but take some time to take them shopping, go to a movie, or out for a coffee. Keep it relaxed and let your teen open up to you in their own time and way. Summertime is a great time to reconnect with your teen. Don’t let these weeks go by without taking this time to slow down and just be together.

Encourage Physical Activity – Take time to learn or play a new sport with your teen. Not only will this help your teen be more active during the summer, it’ll help you get some much needed exercise, too. Boys in particular are more likely to enjoy “side by side” activities. These are often great times to open dialogue with your son about important issues. Give tennis, swimming, cycling, or rollerblading a try. You both will benefit your health and well being.

Parents all over the country complain that their teens get lazy during the summer break. But teens, just like toddlers, need guidance, clear communication, and reminders of your expectations in order to be successful. These tips should get you well on your way. Ask your teen if there are things they’d like to accomplish before school starts, and then help them to meet those goals.

Need More Help?

Here are three guides to help you reconnect with your teen, so you can help them with the rocky road of being a teenager.

1. If you’re gearing up for another summer with your teen and want to dread trying to keep them occupied, happy and out of trouble, check out School’s Outfor plenty of expert resources to make it a great summer.

2. Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen shows you how to accept what you can and cannot control in your teen’s life, how to cope with mood swings, keeping the lines of communication open.

3. Real Life Guidance to Helping Your Teen in High School includes practical suggestions to help your child find his/her identity, avoid bullies, handle peer pressure and more.

Grab them all to be armed with the easy-to-follow advice at your fingertips. They’re available for instant download, which means you can get the help you need any day of the week, even if it’s the middle of the night.

Cyberbullying occurs when a child bullies another child in an online venue. While the bullying is not taking place in person, it is still a very serious issue. Teens that use the internet to cyberbully traditionally target their peers and smear their names or issue threats. Cyberbullying is not typically a one time occurrence; it is an ongoing issue that will continue until the matter is addressed, either by authority figures or by the teenager themselves.

Teens can handle cyberbullying in different ways. While parents may not recognize the signs of teen cyberbullying, teens often take the cyberbullying to heart. Such instances are shown when children commit suicide for no apparent reason, only for parents to discover after the death that the teen was a target of cyberbullying. Suicide or murders are the extreme extent of the issue.

Victims of cyberbullying usually become self-conscious or withdraw into themselves. Acceptance is what every teenager wants, especially from their peers. When a teenager is bullied instead, whether online or off, they can become very depressed and even express signs of self-hatred.

It is important, as a parent, to be aware of any changes in your teenager’s attitude or behavior as these can be early warning signs that something is not quite right. Addressing the issue head-on can be beneficial for both your teenager and you. Your teen will be happy to have a parent who cares and will stand behind them. Lack of parental support can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, along with depression and thoughts of harming themselves.

While murder and suicide are the extreme consequences of cyberbullying, most events are not usually pursuable in a criminal manner. While it is only normal to want the offender to pay for deliberately setting out to hurt your teen, it is important not to stoop to the teen’s level as it then becomes a more serious nature for which you, as a responsible adult, will be in trouble. It is more advisable to document all of the cyberbullying events and use them as evidence if presented to the authorities.

Cyberbullying can affect your teen in various ways. Some teenagers shrug off the offending comments while others take the comments personally and withdraw into themselves. Very rarely, murder or suicide may be a result of a cyberbullying event taken too far.

Be aware of any serious changes in your teenager’s attitude or behavior as the changes may be an indication of something wrong in your teenager’s life. Open communication is important as well as letting your teenager know that you are there for support. Never take matters into your own hands by stooping to the level of cyberbullying – it could lead to criminal charges against yourself. Rather, document all of the comments and attempts of cyberbullying directed at your teen and present the evidence to authorities and let them handle the matter.

The best way to avoid having selfish children is to model selflessness. Be willing to serve others and do so both when and where your children will see you. Shovel snow for an elderly neighbor, serve meals at a homeless shelter, or deliver meals to the elderly or housebound. Encourage your children to join you as you reach out to others.

Encourage your little ones to take turns by giving them something. When they give it back to you, praise them or clap your hands to display your approval. This will reinforce their desire to please you and will prepare them to learn to share.

When a baby or toddler takes a toy from another child, your first inclination may be to take the toy away and give it back to the other child. Your reaction is correct – your child should not take things from others – but if you take the toy you’re doing the same thing. It may confuse your child even at an early age.

Allow your child to have several toys that are off limits to others. It’s important for your child to understand ownership and have some things that are ‘mine,’ but you also want them to learn to let others play with some of their other toys. Having some items which your child knows they won’t have to share may make it easier to let someone play with those toys which are to be shared.

Besides teaching your child to share, you also want them to learn to understand another’s feelings. You want your children to pay attention to others when they’re being spoken to, so your best choice is to stop what you’re doing and pay attention to them. Since children are little copycats, they’re likely to duplicate what they’re shown. Remember the poem “Children Learn What They Live;” modeling how you want your child to act is the best way to teach them empathy.

Do you want your child to be generous? Again, let your children see your generosity. Let them see you write out a check to a local charity. Encourage them to let go of some toys they no longer play with or clothing they no longer wear. This will be easier for them when they get new things. Allow them to take the items they’re giving away to a local women’s shelter or children’s charity.

Teach your child to acknowledge gifts they receive. Rather than simply telling someone thank you, help them write thank you notes for each gift. This may be difficult for very small children, but it should be easy for older children who can write. Not only will this activity teach your children to be considerate – it can also help their handwriting skills.

Thinking of ways of teaching kids how not to be selfish can be frustrating, but you know it’s the right thing to do. It’s not an easy job to be a parent but it can be a rewarding, particularly when your child shows selflessness rather than being selfish.

If you’re considering teaching your teen to drive, it’s important that you try to remember learning how to drive and how excited you were. By putting yourself back in their “seat,” so to speak, you may have more patience and empathy. These are both needed, as well as a desire to see your teen become a skilled, responsible driver.

Your teen may have driver’s education classes available to them at school. This is a great opportunity to allow your teen to become comfortable behind the wheel without having to be the one who is initially in the car with them. No matter how good the driver’s education class is, you’ll also be responsible for taking your teen out to practice driving.

It’s possible, however, that the best way for your teen to learn how to be a responsible driver is what they learn from watching you. Pay attention to the traffic around you, know and follow the rules of the road, and use proper judgment while driving. If you do these things, your teen may emulate those skills rather than those of their peers.

Talk to your teenager about the responsibilities and dangers associated with driving. You may even want to go as far as to tell them the statistics for teenagers killed in motor vehicle accidents. This will get their attention and hopefully encourage them to be better drivers.

Take the time to provide ample opportunities for your teen to practice driving. Take them driving when it’s raining, when there’s rush hour traffic, and at night. In fact, find as many different conditions they may face when driving as possible. The more experience they have behind the wheel, the better their driving will be.

Establish clear rules regarding driving and be sure to enforce them. One idea you may want to consider is to restrict your teen from having other teenagers with them while driving. Teenagers don’t always use their best judgment and this can often be the case when they’re behind the wheel trying to impress their friends. And of course you’ll want to stress the importance of not drinking and driving.

Let your teen be aware of what you’re doing and where you’re going if you’re teaching them to drive. They’ll be better prepared to handle what comes at them if they know in advance that they’re going to be driving in rush hour traffic, for example.

Consider how mature your teenager is. Do they have to be reminded to put on their seatbelt? Do they react calmly when something bothers them or do they fly off the handle? Do they think they’re invincible? If you don’t think they’re mature enough or are concerned about their reactions when you’re in the car with them, you may have enough reason to ask them to wait to learn to drive.

Consider using these top tips to get your teenager ready to drive. You can also get advice from other parents who have taught their teens to drive, or check with the school’s driver’s education teacher. Between the help you get from others and your own experiences learning to drive, your teen should soon be ready to get behind the wheel.

Before you take your child out to ride their bike, you may want to keep a few things in mind:

* Make learning to ride their bike fun. If it’s not fun, they’ll want to quit.

* Wait until your child tells you they’re ready. You may be excited to get them on the path to two-wheeled adventures, but they may not be so sure just yet. Let them set the pace.

* Be sure you have a safe, level place for them to learn. Take them where there’s no traffic and the area is large, flat and paved.

* Have the necessary safety equipment – helmet, knee and elbow pads – and ensure they’re worn properly.

Has your child mastered riding a tricycle or bike with training wheels? Have they asked you to remove the training wheels so they can ride like a big boy or girl? This will probably happen around the time your child turns five or six, but don’t push them.

Remove the training wheels and lower the seat until your child can sit comfortably with their legs straight and place their feet on the ground. This will enable them to put their feet on the ground if they start teetering or losing balance. Be sure the tires are properly inflated.

Have your child scoot with their bike, keeping their feet on the ground. When they become more comfortable, ask them to coast on their bike by picking their feet up. As they grow more confident in their coasting skills, they’ll soon be ready to begin turning.

While coasting, help your child turn the handlebars to make big, easy turns. Set a cracker 10 feet in front of them and ask them to run over it. This teaches them to scan ahead to avoid things in their path. Before long they’ll be ready to start pedaling.

Raise the seat a little and while holding onto the back of the bike, let your child start from a stopped position. Have them put one foot on the ground and one foot on the pedal. Tell them to press down on the pedal and put their foot on the other pedal. Continue to help them balance slightly, but let them do most of the balancing.

Continue to hold the bike to stabilize them while they slowly pedal the bike. Teach them to brake by placing a foot on the ground or using a handle brake if their bike has it. Allow them to ride slowly until they are comfortable enough to pick up speed.

Once they’ve mastered riding without help, you may want to get the family together for a bike ride in the park. Take things slow and reinforce what your child has learned – making wide curves and watching in front of them – so they’ll be ready to ride on their own.

Teach your child the rules of the road when it comes to riding bikes. Wear brightly colored clothing, ride in order to keep control of the bike and be able to brake, ride a safe distance from other bikers, and look both ways before going into the sidewalk from the driveway.