School Time!!!

Well, the day has come.  Today, I sent Alex off on the bus for her first day of school.  And, sitting here at home, all alone, I was thinking of all the things I did to prepare her for school.  Here are my tips of what to teach kids for their first year, or anytime.

The School Bus:
-Teach your child the bus number AS SOON as you find out what bus they'll be taking.  This way, if they are at school, and their teachers can't figure it out, your child will be able to tell them.
-Teach your child the routine for catching the bus, and getting off of the bus.  I know that Alex was very concerned of the lack of seatbelts, and where she's supposed to go when she gets to the school.
-Tell your child not to get off the bus unless they see you.  Most school buses will just return a child to the school if they do not get off the bus.  This way, if there is an emergency and for some reason, you're not at home, your child will remain safe.
-Teach your child NOT to leave the school with anyone except your approved people, or the bus.  It may sound paranoid, but kidnapping DOES happen, and you and your childshould be prepared.

The Teacher:
-Meet the teacher.  Especially for new Kindergarteners/Pre-K students, it is good to attend the orientation.  This way, they can see their school, their teacher, their classroom, and you can learn helpful tips to make the transistion from home to school easy.
-Go over the teacher's name with your child.  I would randomly ask Alex what her teacher's name was, and in a few days, she had it memorized.

The Backpack:
-Be sure that your little student knows where everything in their backpack is, and be sure that it is backed the night before school.  That way, if you forget something, you are more likely to remember in the morning, since you dont have to worry about packing the usual items.
-Be sure that it's not too heavy, and that it is sitting properly on your child's back.  Backpacks can cause a lot of back problems later in life, so it's better to try to prevent it now.
-Be sure you remind your child not to leave their backpack on the bus!!!
-Label EVERYTHING, from the backpack itself to everything inside of the backpack.  This way, if it does get left somehwhere, it's more likely to make it's way back to your student.

The Parents:
-The first day of school can be stressful,  even for a parent who has a child in 1st, 2nd, even 5th grade.  Just know that the school systems have done this MANY times, and have procedures in place to make it easier for everyone.  As long as you have prepared your child properly, have faith in them and the school system.  It's a scary and exciting time, embrace the emotions!

To Buy or Not To Buy- 5 Popular Kids' Products

We see products all the time aimed at our children, and always wonder, is it worth our money?  I may be one of the cheapest people around, so I like to be very careful on purchases I make.  Occasionally though, a product makes an offer that I have to check out on my own.  Here are a few popular products, and my own personal reviews.

1.Pillow Pets- $15.99-$19.99
     We've all seen the commercials and have the song stuck in our heads.  "It's a pillow, it's a pet...."  I was very excited about seeing this, but also quite sceptical.  So, when I saw a Ravens Pillow Pet at WalMart, I couldn't say no.  My daughter loves the Ravens, and had been begging for a pillow pet for ever, so I decided to take the plunge.  I was surprised about how much I liked this product.  The pillow is a nice size, its very soft and my daughter uses it EVERY night.  It also hasn't gone flat in the 8 months that we have had it, unlike the pricey pillow I bought for myself at the same time.  It is a little pricey for a pillow, but considering how much my daughter loves it, it was money well spent.

2. Dream Lites-$29.99-$39.99
      From the makers of the Pillow Pet comes Dream Lites.  Pretty much, it's a stuffed animal/night light.  And, since I was so happy with my purchase of the Pillow Pet, I decided to splurge a little bit for my daughter's birthday and get her one of these.  She LOVES it, however, I don't think it's worth the $40 I spent.  I mean, it's just a night light.  This is one expensive splurge that I wish I had passed on.

3.  Popsicle Dora The Explorer Slow Melt Ice Pops- Prices Vary
       The promise of a slow-melting popsicle for kids is every parent's dream come true.  I would have paid just about any amount of money for this!  However, be warned, these things are terrible!!!  My daughter was very excited about her new Dora popsicles, but as soon as she tasted it, she claimed it tasted weird.  I thought it was because she had a green one, and I can understand not liking the green ones!  Well, a few days later, sitting watching tv after my daughter went to bed, I craved the fruity deliciousness of a popsicle.  So I went out and grabbed what was supposed to be a strawberry flavored popsicle.  My tastebuds were offended by what I was eating, and it tasted so bad that I tossed it in the garbage.  Whatever they put in these things to make them "slow melting" makes them taste like what I'd imagine glue tastes like.  Not only would I NOT recomment these, but I don't think I'd wish them on my worst enemy!!!

4. The Snuggie(for kids)-$14.99
     I was never a fan of the Snuggie.  The commercials were completely ridiculous, however, the design seemed pretty neat.  So, when a friend purchased one for my daughter, I was happy for her.  When I opened the box, I was SHOCKED at how THIN the material was.  I think I'd be cold wearing one of these outside in the middle of July.  The design is creative, and seems like it may be cool for a lazy winter day, but don't waste your money on this worthless product.

5. Crayola Color Bath Dropz- Prices Vary
       These little tabs claim to color your child's bathwater to a variety of colors.  I was very skeptical, and always wanted to get these for my imaginative little girl.  But they look like they would stain everything from the bath toys to my child's skin.  When I was at my friend's house, and she put her daughter in the bath, and dropped a tab in the water, and boom-pink bath.  It ONLY colored the water.  Even the white washcloth stayed white.  I wish it would have colored the bubbles as well though, because what would be better than a pink bubble bath?!  Definately worth the money!!

Kid's Snack- Jello Slices

This is a neat little twist on jello that my daughter LOVES, and is also super easy.

Start with your favorite jello flavor, and a few oranges.  At snack time the day before you plan on serving the jello slices, cut the oranges in half and scoop the orange out with a spoon, leaving  the peel in tact-you can even leave a few chunks of orange in them.  Make up the box of jello, and instead of pouring the liquid into serving dishes, pour them in the hollowed, half-orange peels, and cool.  After a day, take them out of the fridge and slice them up.

For a fun little twist, use lime peels and pink,watermelon jello.  Then, when you slice and serve the treat, it looks like little tiny slices of watermelon.