Everyday Parents Provide School Tips (NAPSA)—*Back to school” means exciting changes—new teachers, classrooms, supplies and sometimes a new school. With some preplanning and a few helpful tips from parents, you can start the year without a hitch! One excellent resource for everyday back-to-school tips is the SCOTT Tissue and Towels Common Sense Community at www.sScottCommonSense.com. This community provides a place for people to share their practical ideas ranging from timesaving short cuts to ways to spend quality time with the family. Applying these simple ideas can ease the transition between summer fun and back-to-school time. * Stop Scrambling! Get your mornings off to a good start. Put homework, backpacks, jackets, etc., by the front door. Lay out clothes, make lunches, have homework finished and ready to go. No more morning scrambles! Nan, Antioch, CA * Brown Bag It Ahead of Time. Get out the PB & J before you go to bed! Prepare lunches for the next day the night before. Sacking the sandwiches now means one less worry amid the morning hustle and bustle. Tammy, Las Vegas * Sound the Alarm! Set realistic wake-up times for your family. Sometimes an extra 10 minutes can makeall the difference in the morning. And don’t feel like you need to go it alone on wake-upcall duty. You can equip older kids with their own alarm clocks. (Fair warning! Heavy sleepers may also require a nudge from mom or dad.) Regina, Shawnee, OK * Avoid Overscheduling the Kids. Soccer on Monday, swim lessons on Wednesday, piano on Friday—kids can get overloaded with extracurricular activities. Determine if your kids just might be overscheduled. It happens with the best intentions! Leave plenty of open time for just plain family fun—an important “event” in every child’s development. Allison, Newark For more everyday commonsense tips visit the Common Sense Community online at www.Scott CommonSense.com.
