You research healthy recipes for your kid's lunches, you ask for his input to ensure he'll be excited by said healthy choices, you pack it up and watch as he takes it with him to school.

But you strongly suspect that healthy lunch is winding up in the trash.

Alternately, you buy the school's hot lunch. After checking it and discussing options with your child, you give her money for the lunch lady. But somehow you're suspicious that the 99-cent menu off-campus has been calling her name.

Judging by the line of teenagers outside the In-N-Out Burger across the street from my neighborhood high school, you're probably right.

So what do these kids eat today? If you were ever a teenager yourself (and you were, right?), you may find the Teen Ink Top 5 Foods familiar.

School's in session, leaves are turning brown, and I'm betting y'all have a whole new set of circumstances giving you grief. Well thank your god it's Friday. Ask Dad is here to help with what ails you.

My kid sucks at math but I suck worse. I was a high school dropout. We can't afford a tutor. How do I help her?

Ask Dad did great in English classes (as you can tell from the gorgeous poetry I compose here), but I was always horrid at math like you. It was the one class where I sat in the back with the stoners. Maybe we knew each other.

Part of it was lack of ability, but mostly I thought I was an artist, who couldn't be troubled by that confining class with its "right" and "wrong" answers.

A lot of us carry this into adulthood. We romanticize our stupidity and love our narrow-mindedness about technical stuff. But I've learned something recently, and I feel like the young me will appear and kick my ass for saying it:

Math is really interesting!

High school kids should get some kind of degree for college preparation and everything that goes along with it. Preparing for and applying to college is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

With help from the folks at Revolution Prep, including Emily Taylor, National Director of Instruction and Training, we have compiled some information that will help parents guide their kids through the critical parts of the "college preparation to-do list" and navigate the complicated maze through choosing a college, gathering materials for college applications, and preparing for and taking college entrance exams. 

Can certain foods really make us smarter? It's very possible.

Some foods are thought to have certain nutritional benefits that can improve memory, mood, and attention span, as well as reduce our risk for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and other mental disorders. Pair these with daily brain exercises, and you're well on your way to intellectual nirvana!

Okay, that's overstating the potential of these foods, but at the very least you'll get a jump on the day with these brain boosting breakfast ideas.

No parent wants to have a child who becomes a target for a bully. Luckily there are things you, as a parent, can do now to bully-proof your kid.

A recent study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that authoritative parents help to keep their children from becoming victims, authoritative parenting being defined as:

... parents who provide warmth and support to their children, while maintaining their authority and keeping the lines of communication open ...

While we can do our best to maintain open communication with our child and create a strong sense of self-esteem, bullying is just not what it used to be before the dawn of Facebook.

When your mom or dad told you to stand up for yourself, it was usually to a bully who shoved you on the playground. Today bullying can be relentless and insidious; even seeping into your home life via text messages and social networking accounts.

The first time my parents left me home alone, they were gone for a few minutes.

It felt like hours.

It turns out your kid who is chomping at the bit to be left home alone isn't always ready for it.

So how do you know when it's safe to let them loose as a latchkey kid?

If your kids are like most, they come home from school FAMISHED. No matter how much they eat for lunch, they're ready for a snack before their backpacks hit the ground (even though they should be hung up neatly instead).

And while snack time can be a great bonding time because they have to slow down at least a little, it's also nice if they can pitch in and make snacks for themselves. It just takes planting a few ideas in their minds and the right ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator.

It will save you time, help them become more self sufficient, and it's healthier than just handing them a bag of chips.

Here are five favorites:

Decorating the dorm room with all the creature comforts of home just got easier.

They're letting the creatures in. Literally.

A host of pet-friendly dorms are inviting college kids back to school this month with Fido in tow.