Help Your Child Achieve School Life Balance
Courtesy of:  ARA Content

(ARA) - Childhood today is more demanding than ever and parents are paying increased attention to how they can help balance their children’s lives. With the start of a new school year approaching, Office Depot is offering parents a variety of tips and advice in a new online resource called “Balanced for Success: Tools for Surviving and Thriving in School Today.” This new guide features organizational and time management solutions to help kids succeed in today’s busy classroom and after-school environments.

A new survey conducted by TNS NFO reinforces that parents are seeking advice on how to reduce their children’s stress. It shows that:

* Approximately half (49 percent) of all parents believe their child’s life would be better balanced if it was more organized

* More than 60 percent of parents feel their child would be less stressed if they had home schedules or time management coaching and tips

“With just a little organization, children’s lives could be more in control,” says parenting expert Stacy DeBroff, founder of MomCentral.com and author of “The Mom Book Goes to School: Insider Tips to Ensure Your Child Thrives in Elementary and Middle School.”

“Many kids lag behind because basic self-management and organizational skills are lacking. You might see your child struggle with planning ahead, prioritizing or managing time effectively, but the good news is all of these concepts can be taught,” she says.

To help families balance their lives and feel in control for the new school year, DeBroff recommends the following:

* Create a Family Calendar: Prioritize school assignments and extracurricular activities with a dry-erase organizer like the Mead Family Matters color-coded calendar ($15.49 to $38.99). Create a weekly ritual out of updating the calendar with your child to track the major events of the week.

* Lighten Your Little One’s Load: Select a child-friendly backpack, like the TUG by Foray line of backpacks ($9.99 to 39.99), that fit a child’s frame and are more comfortable to carry because of their ergonomic design. Plus, these backpacks have tons of pockets which help do the organizational work for your child.  

* Color Coded for Success: Assign each activity a particular color or pattern and follow through with that same pattern on tote bags, book covers, notebooks and accessories. To help kids become fully coordinated and organized, Office Depot has just introduced seven new coordinating patterns on a wide range of products ($1.99 to 9.99), including notebooks, folders and totes.

For the complete “Balanced for Success” brochure, visit www.school.com