Yes, it's that time again. After a long summer of sleeping late, playing outside and flexible schedules, children and parents can be overwhelmed adjusting to busy back-to-school routines. But every morning does not have to turn into madness. The tricks to a stress-free morning are planning ahead and sticking to schedules.

Keep these tips in mind as you get your kids ready for school:

• To avoid last minute scrambling in the morning, keep book bags, stocked with completed homework assignments and other school necessities, near the door along with coats and shoes.
• Give your child a bath and choose his or her outfit the night before. Have the clothing pressed and ready to go.
• Decide on breakfast and lunch foods ahead of time, and have those foods easily accessible for cooking or packing in a lunch box. You may even want to make your child’s lunch the night before and refrigerate.
• Avoid distractions such as TV or video games. They only will captivate your child’s attention and cause him or her to rush later.
• Build cushions into your family’s schedule so you don’t feel frazzled.
• Keep your child from being rushed by providing gentle reminders. For example, “The school bus will be here in 10 minutes, so you’ll need to put your shoes on.”
• Avoid unnecessary morning chores like emptying the dishwasher.
• Hang the family calendar in a place where everyone can see it. Older children can be proactive and place their musical instrument or uniform next to the door.
• When you feel stressed, your family can sense it. Wake up 15 minutes earlier so you can have some alone time to wake up and feel energized before the rush.
  

Taking these tips into consideration can make your mornings run more smoothly. Here's to a great school year!

FAST FACT: 55 million students across the nation are enrolled in grades K-12 this fall. They will be taught by 6.8 million teachers.

Colleen Schultz is the education manager at Children’s Health Education Center. She is a certified health education specialist with a bachelor’s degree in community health. She also has a master’s degree in education. For more information on parenting tips, or for information about community education classes, call Children’s Health Education Center, a member of Children’s Hospital and Health System, at (414) 765-9355.

Is there a topic you'd like us to talk about? If so, please let us know by posting a comment. We would love to hear from you.

With the school year fast approaching, it's important for parents to think through some of the possible situations that could come with the new year. With new surroundings and new faces comes the possibility of bullying. Whether it’s physical, emotional or verbal in nature, your child could find himself or herself in unfamiliar territory and unsure of what actions to take, which can be very stressful.

Here are some tips that will help your child be better prepared to handle a bullying situation:

1. Prepare your child.
Talk over any feelings of nervousness and anxiety he or she may have about the new school year. This will help uncover any issues your child may be experiencing and even identify any possible past bullying incidents that may have occurred.

2. Explain bullying.
It’s important for children and adults to be aware of the different forms bullying can take, regardless of whether the child is a victim or a bystander of verbal or physical bullying. Bullying even can take place through text messaging, instant messaging and Web site blogging.

3. Determine who can help.
Without a parent readily available, your child will need to know who he or she can reach out to for help. It is important that your child knows that teachers, principals and other grown-ups at school are there to help them, and to not be afraid to ask for help when they're in trouble.

4. Ask questions.
When communicating with your child, listen closely. If your child is avoiding questions, sounds nervous and angry or is completely silent, these all may be warning signs your child is in an uncomfortable situation.

5. Offer solutions.
When faced with a bullying situation, teach your child to ACT. (Action, Care, Tell). By doing nothing, the victim is allowing the bully to gain power and the situation may become repetitive or escalate into more violent territory. Instead, let your child know it’s important to act on the situation. Caring and showing compassion for others is a way to diffuse bullying by demonstrating that you understand where the other person is coming from. Finally, explain the difference between “telling” and “tattling.”

FAST FACT: Technology bullying via the internet often is a serious and hurtful form of bullying, and one not to be dismissed.

Colleen Schultz is the education manager at Children’s Health Education Center. She is a certified health education specialist with a BS degree  in community health. She also has a master’s degree in education.