**Before you get too involved in your school planning look back on the summer. Is there anything you've wanted to do with your family but have put off? Did you promise the kids any special trip or event? Believe me they will remember! You don't want to be hearing ""But you promised we'd go to a Braves game!" or "You said we'd go to Ogles!" You promised!" Before the summer is over complete those incomplete plans.

**As for back to school clothes shopping...Some parents prefer to wait until after the first week or two of school. That way the child has a better idea of what's in and parents won't be spending money on clothes the student wouldn't be caught dead in.

**Many of us let our children stay up late in the summer. The last week to 10 days of vacation is the time to start gradually adjusting your child to a more regular school-time schedule... Earlier to bed, earlier to rise.

**Help teach your child responsibility. Each child can have an alarm clock, teach the child how to set it and make the child responsible for getting up in the morning by him/her self.

**Breakfast is extremely important, but many of us are rushed in the mornings. Decide on your breakfast menu the night before, set the table. Breakfast doesn't have to be a big everyone sit down together meal like a fantasy TV family. Each person can self-serve (and self clean up).

**Many sibling morning fights start over who uses the bathroom first. Set a bathroom schedule! And if the first customer oversleeps it's his/her loss, they go to the end of the line.

**Get to know your child's teachers, volunteer in the classroom, stop by and eat lunch with your child, attend open house, PTA. Teachers love an involved parent. You'll be on top of what's happening in the school, you'll meet your child's friends and classmates and most elementary kids love it when their parent is there. However, for high school students, forget it! The last thing they want is a parent on school grounds. YOu have to be more creative and surreptitious in your involvement with the school. Night meeting and after school committees might be better for the high schooler's parent. If you are on high school grounds during the school day, and you see your child DO NOT APPROACH him/her. It seems to be a part of natural law that a teen's parent will embarrass the teen no matter what you do.This is especially true with any exchange that happens in public. Besides a quick glance and perhaps a nod of the head, the best policy is to only speak if you are spoken to. Of course since you are in public, the normal teen will try to do something to corner you - like ask for the car or money - hoping you won't say no in public. Respond with whatever answer you feel is appropriate -that'll teach a teen to try and be manipulative!

**For divorced parents it's sometimes difficult for the non-custodial parent to stay informed of what's happening with the school. If your child has only one teacher or is in a small team with a home-base teacher, you could try giving the teacher a stack of self-addressed stamped envelopes. Ask for the teacher to mail you a copy of any handouts that are given for the student to take home. In high school some schools mail notices out to the parent, usually the one the student lives with. If you'd like to be added to a mailing list, call and see if they can add the non-custodial parent to their list.

**Most of all remember learning is an adventure. Talk to your student about what he/she is doing in school. Listen to your student, see what the school experience is like from his/her point of view.