It's August, which means stores have replaced picnic tables and sidewalk chalk with back-to-school supplies and Christmas wrapping paper. As teachers distribute school supply lists, parents around the country can practically feel their wallets getting lighter. Recognizing that the return to school is an expensive time for families, 16 states are offering holidays from sales taxes during August. Sorry Thanksgiving, moms have a new favorite holiday.
Small class size has long been the holy grail of education, but some now claim its importance is overblown. In fact, it may be only the fourth most important factor to a child's education. In "The Good School: How Smart Parents Get Their Kids the Education They Deserve," the authors say teacher training, class curriculum, and a staff that is well supported and regularly evaluated are all more important than class size. Some school reformers claim that small classes are too expensive compared to the benefits they provide.
Winnie the Pooh may be stuffed with fluff but some who have seen the newest Disney film think that Pooh Bear and his issues-laden friends should be stuffed with meds. Should Tigger be on Ritalin for his ADHD? And, what's being done to help Eeyore's depression?! Maybe a little Zoloft would help that mopey donkey. A helpful, tongue-in-cheek, chart offers suggestions for which prescriptions each of the neurotic pals should try.
Here's one for the awww files. One new father, looking for a special way to propose to his girlfriend, decided to let his newborn son do the asking. Right after the little guy was born, nurses got him cleaned up and then brought him back to his mom, wearing a onesie that read, "Mommy, will you marry my daddy?" The dad then got down on one knee, held out a ring and proposed. This new dad melted our hearts not just for his sweet proposal but from his impressive organizational skills. That's a lot of stuff to remember to bring to the hospital -- a lot of guys are so nervous they're hard-pressed to remember the camera...
While the Freshman 15 are usually associated with college, the ninth grade often marks a sharp decline in exercise and increased weight gain for teens. Trying to combat that, a summer program in Miami taught 100 middle and high school students about nutrition and exercise. In addition to learning to read food labels, the kids took spinning classes and did power walks and weightlifting.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.