How Are You Surviving School So Far?

The first week(s) of school are always tough, and not just on the kids -- but us parents, too.

Now that things are starting to roll along, it might be a good idea to take a quick look at how things are going, and making sure nothing has slipped through the cracks as your kids go back. Then ... remembering to keep things up-to-date as the year goes on.

First and foremost: contact info.

For some families it's always changing, so if something is valid one day and invalid the next, make sure the school is aware ASAP.

List the order you'd like contacts to be made.

Meds: Maybe your kid isn't on meds now, but needs something during the year -- it's important for the school to have the actual prescription bottle, not just a bunch of pills thrown in a bag.

And if your child is on regular medication, please make sure the school is aware of that as well, even if they don't take that medicine at school.

Allergies: bees, bites, stings, nuts, latex ... anything you know about, the school should know about.

Doctors, dentists, (and bears, oh my.) Also list a hospital preference in case of emergency. This one tends to change at the first of the year, when parents make insurance changes.

A family emergency plan: make sure your child knows what to do in case of emergency on the way to or from school, or while at school. That means where you'll be on a particular day, and so forth (and how to meet or get a hold of you).

The talk: this is an ongoing event. The first weeks of school can be the roughest, but a lot can pop up over the course of the year.

It would be a good idea to make sure you set aside even a few minutes each day to check in with your child to see how the day went, and how things are going in general.

Do this one regularly, so you get a sense of how things are going, not just for one day but overall. It's a good way to detect issues with schoolwork, friends, teachers, bullies -- you name it.

For some helpful forms: emergencycareforyou.org

Final thought: just be glad your kids don't have to walk uphill 3 miles in the snow to and from school like you did.

Have a good year!