parenting column

5 Fun Back-to-School Items Get Your Kids Excited for Their First Day When I was a little girl, I used to get so excited about going back-to-school shopping with my mom. It was the only day of the year I can remember hearing her say “yes” to so many of my, “Can I get this one?” Having new things made the start of every new school year more exciting than the last. With a new year comes new worries and self-doubts. “Will I make new friends?” “Will I fit in?” Being able to go to the store and pick out things that made me feel good and shiny and new helped ease the transition of leaving summer behind me and heading forward into my new grade. I try and do the same for my kids now that I’m a parent. I let them pick out a new backpack towards the end of the summer to help get them excited about school starting and I make an effort to find cool new gadgets that will “ooh” and “aah” them into the new school year. I’ve been on the hunt all summer for my three kids aging from preschool and up. Here are my Top 5 Fun School Supplies for the New School Year:

1. Rugrats Reptar Bar Pouch. This one is fun because it’s a throwback to when I was a kid. Remember the Rugrats show? This pouch is perfect for the kid who likes to store stuff in a special place. The pouch is bigger than your typical school pouch but that’s what I love about it. You can easily fit pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, a small notepad and there’s room for more. It’s also really well made. The pouch is heavy duty and will easily last your child more than one school year and probably his entire school career – it’s that well made. Bonus tip: this Rugrats Reptar Bar Pouch will fit right in with your kid who loves anything gaming-related. My son is gearing up to use it in fourth grade this fall but for now, he’s been storing his Lego men and pretty much anything he loves at the moment. Find this product and more at ThinkGeek.

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Meagan Ruffing is a parenting journalist who loves, loves, loves the fall and everything back-to-school. You can find more of her behind-the-scenes parenting tips at

Bentology Lunch Box Set. My daughter loves this lunch box set and so do I. It comes in all different colors and it doesn’t warp or melt in the dishwasher like other brands do. You can mix and match the containers and lids and you can buy a matching lunchbox holder for an easy commute into school. This lunchbox makes it easy to include a variety of finger foods for any child’s palette and let’s face it – it’s just plain old fun to open.

www.meaganruffing.com.

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