Do 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:

Chances 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:

Your 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.

All 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?

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.

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?

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.

Calling 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.