BlogHer's Shannon wrote an insightful post looking into preschool television shows back in January. But what about television that tweens and teens watch? Television that you and I watch (or will watch someday) with our kids? I'm not talking about individual shows, I'm talking about television in general. With a gazillion channels to choose from and DVRs abounding, one can certain insulate against undesirable shows easily. But what about our kids?

The newness of back-to-school has worn off, and we're settling into our parenting routines. Right? Except for those members of the sandwich generation who never quite know what to expect from their aging parents. What do you do when you have soccer practice at the same time as your father's doctor appointment? Your father who can't drive anymore? Replicate yourself?

Unlike my sisters and my brother, I looked forward to bringing home my report card every marking period. A great report card to me, meant more money in my pockets. Every "A" I received was worth $5, every "B" was worth $3, and anything below that was worth a big goose egg! So to say that I strived every marking period to gain "A"s in every subject was an understatement. It wasn't even something that I had to work that hard towards either.  Academics were something I never struggled with as a kid, but my siblings on the other hand, were complete opposites.

Last year this time we were sneaking in mid-day matinees between the back to school doctor, dentist, and ortho appointments. When I asked her if she wanted a new sweat suit (the daily de rigueur fashion statement of 7th grade) she said no, the one she had was just fine--ripped knees and all. She insisted on pulling her long hair back into a sloppy ponytail to keep it out of the way when she played soccer, softball, or basketball.

One of my co-workers was looking into convertible car seats the other day. She asked me my opinion about car seats, and boy, was she in for it. My daughter, who's now a svelte five-year-old, was such a large baby that she grew out of her carrying-case car seat (you know, the infant kind you lug around, giving yourself permanent back pain?) when she was four months old. You heard me right.

I grew up on a farm. I always think that is so normal, because most of my friends in Kansas City grew up in little towns in Iowa, Kansas or Missouri. It's mostly when I talk to my friends from the Interwebs that I realize my upbringing was so totally Huck Finn compared to the suburban or city childhoods they experienced.

Paying for grades, paying for grades. Bribery? Reward? Right? Wrong?I'll give you the answer for $20.

Leo isn't my only child -- he has one sister entering kindergarten and another entering middle school -- but I will get to talk to my girls' teachers every day when I drop them off and pick them up. Meanwhile, Leo will be riding a bus twenty miles each way to a county school for kids with autism and behavioral issues. His teacher has the upper elementary class -- the big kids -- which in my opinion is one of the most challenging teaching positions in our county. I want her to know that I'm grateful she'll be teaching my son, and exactly how much I believe in her abilities.

Dear parents of the new students I will get this year, You are getting ready to send your babies to me. They’re all sorts of ages and are, by no means, a true “baby” but many of them will use their learned helplessness to try to get by while they are in my care at school. I won’t let them. If I could, may I tell you a couple of things about your child? A few things that you may not know from my perspective as an educator?

In today's post I offer a bit of advice to young college students heading off to school, and to whichever parents or guardians or loved ones are watching and worrying (and taking out loans). Dear incoming college student and parent(s), I'm addressing this letter to both of you, because college is much more of a partnership than many families realize going in. There's going to be drama, unexpected drama, good and bad, even from the most even-tempered and high-achieving students, and I just want to give you both a head's up.

In less than twenty four hours I will have my kitchen back and my quiet mornings with tea and the newspaper and my voice. You see I lost my voice as I do every summer yelling at the kids to get ready, turn of the TV, stop Facebooking, Tweeting, IMing, texting (didn’t know those were verbs), clean up your room, pack your suitcase, don’t forget your bathing suit, unpack your suitcase, go outside, and have fun god dammit!