The scorching, dog days of summer are upon us, and that can mean only one thing…it’s time for Back-To-School! Many of us remember returning to school around Labor Day. Then again, some of us remember taking “pet rocks” to school. Isn’t it amazing that even these former students are now fully functioning, productive adults? This school year, when your child faces anxious moments, relate some of your school day trials, failures and rather “geeky” moments. Relating your more human side, with all the imperfections is an uncomfortable, but important part of the parent-child relationship. With 4 children ranging in age from kindergarten to nearly college age, we experience all the stages of development all at the same time. We have to remember to communicate with each child on his or her individual level. Sharing with your young child that Mommy once received a report card with a “Needs Improvement” mark for “cutting with scissors” and can now clip coupons with the best of ‘em, may be just the encouragement he or she needs. Sharing how important practicing and improving this skill is, may be an easy as relating, “clipping coupons saved us $12.80 last week at the grocery, which we then used to put insanely high-priced gas in the car to take you to soccer practice.” As they move into middle school years, or shall we call them the “drama” years, reminding them that fortunately, these years are but a short stint in their journey of life. Thank Goodness! These “wonder years”, are more like the “wonder why we all must go through this,” years. Sharing your old middle school yearbook in contrast to photos taken at your 10-year high school reunion can be especially effective. Look honey, here’s the boy’s favorite voluptuous gal at my school in 8th grade, and here she is way more voluptuous at the reunion. Yes, just more proof, there is a God. Even Bill Gates, who probably looks very much like his middle school yearbook photo, is much more appealing as a successful billionaire and philanthropist. Keeping in contact and getting together with old friends from school and their families’, shows your pre-teens more than you could ever tell them in words, what is really important about these years. Old friends sharing their children with each other, and their kids inevitably “hitting it off”, is such a blessing. And the kids hearing about you and your friend’s long journey through life, surely depicts how short, dreadful, but truly special these middle school years are. Finally, you hit the “wonder if I can really get into the college of my choice,” years. These son and daughters may start to become a little harder to extol your worldly knowledge upon. The realization of their rising SAT scores having an inverse relationship upon your perceived IQ becomes apparent. In other words, you suddenly don’t know much. Quickly, you find yourself sourcing everything you tell them, because virtually any source is more steadfast than yours. Even reminding them they might need a light sweatshirt for the cool morning, needs to be supported with the weather channel, local news, and maybe an Internet source. In speaking to them about college related matters, an older college student who has come back to the reality that parents aren’t completely dense, can be your best ally. They can be your veritable scholastic interpreter, many times bestowing the same information as the parent, but in a much more credible way.

As always, we hope you get some helpful information and a bit of a smile from this month’s issue. Please let our advertisers know you appreciate them providing Just 4 Kids Family Directory to you each month, enjoy our money saving coupons, and Make it a Great Month!