Back-to-School Parenting: A Roundup of Back-to-School Parenting Resources

‘Tis the season when everyone has back-to-school on the brain, so I figured this was a good time for a paernting resources swap. I've pulled out some of my favorite resources related to kids and back-to-school. If you have other helpful back-to-school parenting resources to share, please post the details in the comments section below. Or blog about them in your blog and post the link below.

How to....

...Be Brave When Your Child Starts Kindergarten

The first day of kindergarten can be pretty tough, whether you’re a parent or a kid. Some parents find it's tougher on them than it is on their kids. The secrets to getting through the early days and weeks as the parent of a kindergartener? Hang tough on that heart-wrenching first day; and remind yourself that you will still have an important role to play in your child's education for many years to come.

...Prevent or Deal with Cyberbullying

A study conducted by Faye Mishna of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work revealed that 50% of kids in Grades 6 through 12 had been bullied over the Internet. Online bullying has become such a problem for students that the Canadian Federation of Teachers would like to see cyberbullying treated as a crime under the criminal code. Here’s what you do to reduce the odds that your kids will be bullied online and to take steps to stop the bullying if the bullying has already started.

...Give College-Bound Kids Some Helpful Advice About Cooking

Two of my kids headed back to college during the past four days. And they each took that next giant step on the path to total independence: they’ll be cooking for themselves this year, as opposed to relying on a residence meal plan or living with mom and dad.

While I know they’re each quite capable of whipping up the basics, I wanted to inspire them to try new things in the kitchen -- and not to live on heat-and-serve entrees from the frozen food aisle. (Not only is that more expensive than cooking from scratch. It gets pretty boring pretty fast.) So I went looking for an online cooking guide that included healthy, delicious, and easy recipes, as well as some basic tips on food preparation (stocking the kitchen, avoiding food poisoning, etc.)

I was thrilled to come across Good Eats: Quick and Easy Food for Busy College Students, a fabulous cooking guide for time-pressed newbie cooks on a budget by co-authors Suzanne Sonneborn, R.D., L.D, and Cynthia W. Harriman. If there’s a college-bound cook in your family, you’ll want to pass along the link.

...Connect with Other Parents of Boomerang Kids

Sometimes the only thing that helps when you're dealing with a challenging parenting situation is connecting with another parent who truly understands.

Last year, while researching a magazine story about boomerang parenting (parents coping with so-called boomerang kids), Rona Maynard put out a call to parents who might be willing to share their experiences. The stories continued to roll in long past her deadline and an ad hoc support group began to emerge. Some of the more active participants in the discussion are moving the support group to a more permanent home and they want other parents who are dealing with the challenges of sharing their homes with grownup kids (and sometimes grandkids, too) to know that such a group now exists. You can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoomerangSupport/.