Big Kid

5 Tips on Setting Up Your Homework Zone

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Sep 23, 2011 at 6:00 AM

place for kids to do homeworkChances 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.

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Big Kid

You'll Be Amazed At What's Inside These Little Girls' Purses (PHOTOS)

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Sep 21, 2011 at 4:13 PM

selena purseDo you ever walk around the mall and take note of all the little girls carrying purses? I mean little girls. Girls too young to need it for tampons. Girls who can't even see over the steering wheel, never mind qualifying for a license for that wallet. What could they possibly need to carry that thing EVERYWHERE for?

In the name of science and on behalf of puzzled parents everywhere, The Stir has decided to find out. We have gone where no man has gone before. Or at least no mom who doesn't want to hear her daughter whine that you're the meanest mom ever for messing with her stuff. Yes, we took a dive into the purses of five little girls ages 6 through 10. And you'll never believe what we found:

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Teen

6 Rad Cases Handmade to Protect Your Teen's Techy Gadgets

Posted by Jeanne Sager
on Sep 19, 2011 at 11:10 AM

pop tart laptop sleeveChances are the contents of your teen's bookbag are a far cry from the necessities you stuffed in your pack in high school. And they're a lot pricier too: laptops, iPads, etc. may be "must-haves" for the technology-heavy curriculum in today's schools, but sending them out the door with a few grand on their back is enough to give you palpitations. Protecting your sanity ... and your investment ... means one more purchase.

A case. It will save you big time. And the cooler it looks, the better chance you have that your kids will actually USE the thing. Here are some uber-cool picks handmade for trendy teens:

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Big Kid

5 Wacky Writing Utensils for Back-to-School

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Sep 16, 2011 at 6:00 AM

fun pencils for schoolYour kid is special, right? He really needs to make a statement while making a statement. That's why the yellow #2 won't do this school year. Before you just pick up the best seller that every kid will have in her pencil box, take a look at some interesting options that will get your kid excited about hand-writing essays. (Do they even do that anymore, anyway?)

Here are five wacky, but amazing, writing utensils for back-to-school scribbling.

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Big Kid

Velcro Sneakers Keep Mornings Stress-Free

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Sep 14, 2011 at 6:00 AM

velcro verses lacesAll hail Velcro tennis shoes! If you really want to get out the door with a minimum of fuss, and stop being the target of the playground monitors' dirty "you're late ... again" looks, ditch the shoelaces and get with the Velcro. The shoe fastener that works wonders, every kid should have a pair, and you can leave the lessons about the bunny going in the hole and around the tree until your kids are, say, 16 or so.

Before you think I'm just trying to coddle my kids and not challenge them with something we all had to do when we were young, remember, this is for you. For the lady or man who packs up the lunches, makes breakfast, and has to get that crusty-eyed gang out the door in the morning. How about stunting your child's shoe-tying education in exchange for a few more early morning minutes?

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Big Kid

7 Items Every Mom Forgets (and Every Kid Needs) for Starting School

Posted by Sasha Brown-Worsham
on Sep 12, 2011 at 11:28 AM

Every mom who has ever sent a child back to school knows the drill -- pencils, notebooks, books, book bag, lunch box, water bottle, and on and on. We make lists, we check them, and then, inevitably, we forget. And it's always the thing we most meant to remember.

We can't really be blamed. It's a lot to take on, especially once you think of having multiple children. Between permission slips and lunch money and school bags and labels, it can be so overwhelming, who knows what you might forget.

We are lucky we remember our clothing sometimes. I asked around and polled various people and came up with these 7 things as the most frequently forgotten items.

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Big Kid

The Best Reason to Invest in a Cute Raincoat

Posted by Sasha Brown-Worsham
on Sep 8, 2011 at 6:00 AM

As adults, we usually call rainy days "bad days." After all, they're gray, wet, depressing, and murky. We want to stay in and wish for the sun. But to our kids, they're sometimes the very best days. Because those are the days they get to wear their raincoats.

Sure, if it's pouring rain, going outside doesn't seem like much fun. But on the days where it's just a little drizzle and the clouds are dancing in the sky, then by all means, put on those rubber boots and go puddle stomping!

Of course the best way to get kids excited for that is to make sure they love their raincoat. But how do you make sure of that?

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Big Kid

5 Apps Every School Kid Can Use (That Moms Won't Hate)

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Sep 7, 2011 at 6:00 AM

best apps for homeworkSo 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.

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Big Kid

10 Must-Haves for a Cool Back-To-School

Posted by April Peveteaux
on Sep 5, 2011 at 6:00 AM

cool back to school teensCalling all back-to-school shoppers! You may think you're wrapping up your shopping, but wait, do you have all the things that will make your kid the coolest in the class?

Just in case you're not sure what's happening here in 2011, we've found what's hot in the hallways this school year.

Here are 10 must-haves for your young hipster, just in time for back-to-school.

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Big Kid

Cellphone Plans for Kids That Won't Kill Your Budget

Posted by Amy Kuras
on Sep 1, 2011 at 6:00 AM

When I was a child, I wasn't allowed to have a phone in my room. Now most kids are given cellphones around middle-school age. Many more get them even younger.

While giving your child a phone is supposed to relieve the stress of worrying where they are and how they can reach you in an emergency, it also creates a whole new level of stress: How do you restrict their use while still letting them have fun? How do you stop them from running up enormous bills? And how can you best use the cellphone as a tool to keep your kid safe and not as an electronic leash?

The good news is the major carriers (plus one that's not so major) have features letting you set controls on your child's phone use. The bad? In most cases, it's going to cost you.

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