If there's one thing I'm dreading about school being back in session again, it's homework. I do not relish the drama of trying to coax and coerce my son to sit and down and just get it done already!

I've vowed up and down that we will NOT have battles like we did last year, but I know we will if I don't make some changes. One of those changes is establishing a designated homework space. This means no just plopping down wherever he feels like, but creating a space for the sole purpose of homework that will suddenly make homework more enticing than video games or playing outside with his friends. Okay, I'm not delusional, but I'm hoping it will at least make things a little better. Here are some tips for setting up a homework station for your kid.

Do your children have designated spaces for homework? What tips would add?

Image via woodleywonderworks/Flickr

While you're out shopping for back to school clothes and accessories for your kids, you'll want to make sure that you don't leave one very important item off your list -- the perfect backpack.

Having a sturdy bag to transport all of your kids' books, papers, and other belongings to and from school is a definite must, but with so many different bags out there to choose from, finding the right fit isn't always easy.

The following is a sponsored post from InkJoy.

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.

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?