Parenting Secrets with Dr. Michele Borba : Blogs at iVillage.com

The teacher in me always kicks in before the start of a new school year. Though it should be exciting, I often hear moms describe frantic mornings, hectic evenings, and plain bad memories: homework wars, lost library books, last-minute assignments, missed buses, forgotten lunches, late starts, etc.

Back-to-school doesn’t have to be that way—nor should it be. There are simple and practical solutions to those common hot-button back-to-school parenting hassles. Not only will they make the upcoming school year more positive and less stressful for the whole family, but they’ll teach kids to be more responsible (which just happens to be an essential trait of a successful student).

Here are the six "mommy hassles" that happen around back-to-school time and simple solutions to save your sanity!

HASSLE #1: Late Starts & Sleepyheads

Sanity Savers:

• Have children lay out clothes the night before
• Teach your child to set his or her own alarm clock and stick to it.
  

Products to try:

Clocky ($50 at stores like Wal-Mart)
If you've ever had a child have trouble waking up with a regular alarm clock, it's time to meet Clocky: a mobile alarm clock that is guaranteed to get your kids on their feet. It gives you one chance to get up, but if you snooze, Clocky will jump off of your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide.

GrooveToons Clock ($50 at Cygnett.com)
Sound the alarm for Cygnett's GrooveToons clock. It works with any generation iPod nano. The speakers pack a punch for the price and will help get a dawdler out of bed.

HASSLE #2: Missing & Lost School Supplies

Sanity Savers:

• Use a closet organizer as a place for school supplies, teacher notes, school notices, or conference schedules.
  
• Place a basket near the door where children can put their notices and school paperwork to be signed.
• Have children pack backpacks before they go to bed and place them near the front door for the morning.
  

Product to try:

Closet and Clothing Organizers ($25 at any major retailer)
Hang it near a back door so that each child puts his or her school supplies in one section.

Back to school this year is especially tough because many budgets may be feeling squeezed. But we still want to get our kids what they need and the fun, fashionable supplies they want. As an educator and a mom of three, I think back-to-school shopping is a great time to teach your child how to be a smart spender. Here are 10 ways to do that last-minute school shopping so that everyone ends up in a win-win situation.

1. Make a shopping list. Involve your kids in developing their own shopping lists. Start by having your kid list his or her teacher’s required school supplies. (If you haven’t received “the list,” check the school’s website.)

2. Create a realistic budget. Set a budget that works for your family and share that with your child. Establish wants versus needs. Give your young child a few index cards. He or she can cut a few desired items from ads, and glue them onto the cards. Now, each kid takes his or her list when you head to the store.

3. Do one-store shopping. Choose only one store to shop. It’s not so overwhelming for you going store to store, you’ll use less gas in the process, and you'll cut back on kid bickering. I’m partial to Office Depot because things are affordable and it has everything needed for the little kids who need backpacks, crayons and glue, as well as the teens who need technology.

Each week Michele Borba answers your parenting questions right here on her blog. If you have a parenting problem or question leave a comment on this post and you may have yours answered next week!

I currently live in Japan with my husband and our 5-month-old daughter. We are moving back to the United States in two months. I am worried about the stress the move will have on the baby: all new people, new foods, even a new ambient language. She will be meeting all her relatives for the first time. Also, I have been home with her until now, but I'll be going back to work two weeks after we get back, and my husband will be watching her during the day.

Do you have any suggestions for how to make these major life changes easier for our daughter? Also, do you have any good tricks for helping small children cope with jet lag?

Let’s face it, raising teens can sometimes feel like you’re walking through a loaded minefield. Moody. Irritable. Quick-tempered. But let’s get into their shoes. At no other time in their lives will they go through so many physical, emotional and cognitive changes. It’s also exactly why communicating with teens can be so darn touchy.

Research also shows kids today are hitting puberty earlier and dealing with much tougher grown-up issues at far younger ages. Even acne – once thought to be a “teen problem” – is now common for school-age kids. And the skin condition can really pack an emotional punch on our kids, rousing those feelings of anger and frustration as well as significantly impacting their self-esteem. One survey found almost half of adolescents were too embarrassed to go to school because of their acne; one third admitted they were afraid to make friends.

Kids are stressed out enough these days, but when I discovered just how much acne added to kids’ concerns I partnered with Galderma, the maker of Differin acne products, to launch www.mychildsacne.com. Our goal was to provide parents with tips on how to talk about emotionally-charged subjects like acne. Once you open up that conversation, bridging to some of those harder topics – like drinking, sex and drugs – should be a whole lot easier. The Talking Acne with Your Teen E-Guide (which you can download from the site) includes tips to help you bridge communication gaps and stay connected with your teen, and ways to boost his or her self-esteem. It also gives mom the 411 on acne and advice on how to help teens keep their skin healthy for the long term.

Each week Michele Borba answers your parenting questions right here on her blog. If you have a parenting problem or question leave a comment on this post and you may have yours answered next week!

I have 3 little ones! 1 1/2, 4 and 6? I'm a stay at home mom and this summer I think is going to drive me crazy with gas going up! What are some ideas that we should do with out put a hole in my pocket? --Christina


I hear you! Gas prices have put a damper on families' summer plans, and right now is when those "I'm bored" kid comments can wear on our nerves. Here are a few ideas I have, and then I'd love to hear from other moms out there on summer sanity savers -- and many of these ideas are also ones to join forces with other moms as a momtourage to save you extra driving time:

1. Carpool.  Don't drive everywhere and anywhere. It's too costly. Instead find at least one other mom who can share the expenses and the time. Your kids do not have to be friends -- or even like each other -- all you're looking for is the same destination to get to.

2. Recyle. Put a bin somewhere and save toilet paper and paper towel tubes, envelopes, small boxes. Then give your kids masking tape, glue and marking pens and let them be creative. (Forts, towers, etc). Pipecleaners are fabulous as well. The trick is to look around your house for no-cost items to beat driving somewhere to give your kids something new. Find new things at home!

3. Rotate toys with the neighbors (or hide your kids' toys--for just two weeks). Not all, just a few. My girlfriend would do that and her kids always thought it was heaven to play with "new stuff." (Go figure). You can do the same with girlfriends: exchange videos, books, games, puzzles. Things that you won't be too upset over if you never get them back, but will seem like new things to your kids.