While most kids are focused on what apps they can convince their parents to let them download, a 10-year-old from Denver was determined to create one of his own. Fifth grader Daniel Chao wasn't quite sure what kind of app he wanted to make, but after brainstorming with his parents he zeroed in on one of the biggest challenges fifth graders face -- homework.

His parents helped a little with contracts and such, but almost all of the work was his, he told CBS Denver. He did have to submit his proposal to Apple under his dad's name because the company only accepts them from those 18 and above, but based on the passion and intelligence of Daniel, here, Apple might want to rethink that policy.

It’s 12:00 a.m., and when most children are all snuggly buggly wuggly in their widdle beds getting lots of shuteye for their big days at school tomorrow, mine is still awake.

Apparently, her class got in trouble today for excessive chattiness and in a brazen show of authoritative take-that-ness, her teacher slammed them with — wait for it — 60 definitions and 60 sentences. On top of science homework and algebra equations, Girl Child’s whole night has been spent with her face stuck in a dictionary and a marble composition book leading up to now, the stroke of midnight. I am not amused.

When we first decided (my husband and I) that I would work from home while he went to a real job that required actual pants all day long, it seemed like a great idea. I mean, I hated my former occupation -- nursing -- and having the kitchen a mere 10 feet away from me at all times? That's winning.

I could nap whenever I wanted. I could sleep in as late as my body would allow. I could work without pants. I could do my work whenever. Really, there seemed to be no downside! This allowed my husband, the work-a-holic, to work as much as he wanted without having to take time off for sick kids.

Double win!

Until, of course, I realized that the one thing I'd neglected to think about was that I'd be WORKING at home -- not just watching reruns of 90210. And that I'd be forced to balance it all.

Here's how I do it.

There comes a time in every mother’s life when she has to learn how to let her child take a fall. It’s the hardest thing for us to do, I think, because we’re nurturers. Lovers. Protectors. From the time we pop those little dudes and dudettes out, we take our jobs seriously, and that means buffering their mistakes so that they learn their lessons but don’t end up doing permanent damage to their bodies, their lives, or their grade point averages. That’s certainly what I’ve been trying to do for my not-so-baby Baby Girl.

But middle school has been a tough time for her, and grade-wise, it would probably only best be described with a very inappropriate cuss word. This year, I decided I was going to take a different approach: no more nagging or following up on my end. If she fails a quiz or the whole darn school year, it’ll be her fault. Her built-in test reminder and homework checker has officially called it quits. 

Chances are your kids have been coming home with backpacks filled with work sheets, take-home tests, reading assignments, and science experiments. Rather than taking over the dining room table or, worse, locking them away in their bedrooms, why not create a nice spot for the little scholars? A place where they can really hunker down and get serious about their daily tasks.

Even as adults we need a place to concentrate, and the more comfortable, warm, and inviting it is, the easier it is to stay put. So do it for your kid, and she'll want to head to her spot as soon as she walks in the door. Here are 5 tips on setting up the perfect homework zone for your kid.

Now, I love me some school. As a classic over-achiever, I was always thrilled by the shiny back-to-school stuff displayed in aisle after ever-loving aisle in the store somewhere starting in July (now it's like May or something). It gets my teeth chompy for some brand-new notebooks, unused pens, and unsharpened pencils. Hell, I'd be thrilled to take tests had I not already graduated.

There's nothing more awesome than school.

Except, of course, the homework.

So many apps are time wasters, even though they're a blast. But the smart ones out there can give your kid an edge in every subject she'll be studying this fall. Rather than using her iPhone for texting, why not get her hooked on educational apps that expand the mind and pique your interest as well?

Here are five great apps that you'll want your kid to have and might even get for yourself.

An involved parent can be the difference between academic success and a child falling by the wayside. We want our kids to be at the top of their game, and we want their grades to show their hard work and dedication too. But you have to make sure you aren't hovering over your kids as they finish the work meant for students, not their parents.

There are ways you can be there for your kids, without interfering with their education. Here are three ways to enhance an education, and the homework that comes with it.