Back-to-school blues? Here’s how to beat them

Help your child avoid the major shock that comes with the end of summer. For a kid, going from a hazy, lazy summer where the only thing she has on her schedule is scratching a mosquito bite (and even then only if she feels like it!) to having to rise with the sun, look remotely human, and pay attention all day can be a major shock. But there are ways you can make things go more smoothly, starting right now.  -msnbc

How to help your kids look back-to-school cool

Parents, get out those pens and notebooks right along with your kids, because the best way to get started is with a pre-shopping plan! TODAY Style Editor Bobbie Thomas explains how to shop smart for all ages.

7 Rules for a Safe, Healthy and Smart Start to School

The Daily Green put together this back-to-school checklist will help you stay on top of the latest issues in child care.

If kids share a room, give them some solo space

If you think it’s hard to decorate a child’s room “just right,” you might go completely bonkers trying to appease siblings who share a room. Yet, it’s important to create inviduality. To this day, I still remember fondly my lovely purple wall, right next to my sister’s red wall, which was right next to our third sister’s blue one. Here are some tips from SF Gate on how to create individual space even in shared quarters.

Camp Hyatt On Assignment Contest
Do you know a budding journalist between the ages of 6-12 who loves to travel and enjoys the outdoors, learning about the environment, animals, and new cultures? Here’s a chance to win a trip for the winning child and three guests!  (more…)

L.A. County puts vending machines on a diet
Supervisors approve bill requiring that food and drinks sold in most L.A. County facilities match the stricter nutritional standards imposed on California schools. Taking a cue from standards adopted for California schools, the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to require that all food and drinks in the vending machines in most L.A. County facilities — including offices, parks and recreation centers, and medical facilities — meet state nutrition guidelines. – L.A. Times

Get free Coolhaus ice cream while seeing movie star Zooey Deschanel receive the key to the City of Los Angeles by Sam Rubin of KTLA-TV.  The event will take place on Angels Knoll in Downtown Los Angeles on the Northeast Corner of 4th Steet and South Olive Street in downtown L.A. on Friday, August 7, 2009 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A plaque will also be added to the now famous bench from the movie! Zooey Deschanel is the co-star of Fox Searchlight’s 500 Days of Summer movie out in theatres now.

Happy National Farmers Market Week! Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has proclaimed August 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week. This year marks the 10th annual National Farmers Market Week. Since the USDA began declaring National Farmers Market Week in 2000, the number of farmers markets has grown more than 60 percent, from 2,863 markets in 2000 to 4,685 in 2008.  Check out some family-friendly Farmers Markets in L.A. HERE.

A great list of unique activities for teens in Los Angeles by Radical Parenting: Parenting from a new Perspective blog
Check this out for some ideas activity ideas specifically tailored to teens!

It’s SO over: cool cyberkids abandon social networking sites
The Guardian’s Richard Wray investigates. Although their love of being online shows no sign of abating, the percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds who have a profile on a social networking site has dropped for the first time – from 55% at the start of last year to 50% this year. In contrast, 46% of 25- to 34-year-olds are now regularly checking up on sites such as Facebook compared with 40% last year.

Kids Should Get Moving — But With Supervision
Kids who sit around a lot — especially in front of television and computer screens — tend to have higher blood pressure than their more active peers, whether they’re chubby or thin. That’s what one new study shows. -Washington Post

P.E. Class Sending More Kids to the E.R.
Study Shows a 150% Increase in the Number of Physical Education Injuries That Resulted in Emergency Room Visits. – WebMD

Vitamin D and Kids: How Much Sun Should They Get to Stay Healthy?
Is too much sunscreen preventing your child from getting the Vitamin D that he needs?

Protect kids from dog bites
Every year in the United States, 3.5 million children are bitten by dogs, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that by age 12, half of all children in this country will have experienced a dog bite. American Humane’s director of Humane Education, Jane Greco Deming, shares simple steps parents can take to protect their children as well as what parents can teach their children about dogs so they can avoid being bitten. – SFGate

Today’s Parents ‘not To Blame’ For Teenage Problem Behavior
Poor parenting is not the reason for an increase in problem behaviour amongst teenagers, according to research led by Oxford University. – Science Daily

Keep Track of Your Kids This Summer
Since more than 2,000 kids get lost each day, especially during the summer, when they’re going to the park, the beach, or the amusement park, safety is on the forefront of parents’ minds. There are some new products and devices that can help parents keep track of their kids, keep them safe if they do get lost, and give you piece of mind while they’re playing and having fun. Good Morning America parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy took them for a test drive.