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Smart Lessons in Back-to-School Savings

Get back to school savings at www.familycrossings.com!

Back-to-school shopping is an annual ritual that millions of parents participate in each year. In fact, back-to-school time is one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year, second only to the winter holidays. Last year, Americans spent more than $54 billion on supplies, clothes and electronics for school and college-age kids, according to the National Retail Federation, with jeans, backpacks and electronics as some of the most popular back-to-school products.

Getting what students need and keeping the costs reasonable calls for some smart shopping strategies. The easiest place to start is at your computer. These tips will help you study the online possibilities and earn some A+ deals.

Add Up Extra Savings

Before you start hunting down everything on the must-have list, check for printable coupons or online coupon codes on Web sites such as:

Retailmenot.com: Get helpful feedback from users on what coupon codes worked and which ones didn’t.

Smartsource.com: Entering your zip code lets you find deals specific to your area.

Be on the lookout for free shipping offers on these sites, as well. If you’re not careful, shipping costs can negate any savings you may have found.

Do Your Homework

You might find a great deal on a backpack or computer, but is the cost savings really worth a possible trade off in quality? Find out how products stack up to real world use at sites such as Epinions.com, where users share their product experience. At ConsumerSearch.com, there are expert and user reviews shown side by side for each product. A little research can save you time, hassle and money down the road.

Get the Latest Scoop

If you know exactly what you want to buy, sign up for notifications from Craigslist.com and eBay.com. Both sites will notify you of new listings matching your search criteria – so when someone wants to sell that Juicy Couture jacket you’re looking for, you’ll know right away.

If you need help deciding how to get the best product for your money, look at online buying guides. Not sure which laptop to get? Need help figuring out what kind of backpack or desk chair to get? Check out a mix of user and professional reviews at Bing.com/shopping or read Overstock.com buying guides – there are helpful tips on what to look for and how to make a smart choice.

Another way to stay in the loop on savings is to sign up for retail newsletters and emails. You can also check online retailer sites for RSS feeds that automatically send you updates on promotions as they occur. A well-timed update on a new sale lets you get in on the savings early.

Get Cash Back

A growing trend in smart online shopping is participation in programs that give you cash back. Web sites such as Bing.com have partnerships with major retailers to offer items at great prices. Registered users shop for name brand items and when purchases are made through the site, they automatically get a percentage of the purchase price back as a cash rebate. More details on how this works can be found at bing.com/shopping/pages/howtouse.aspx.

The amounts, which change daily, can be sent via check to your address or deposited into a bank account or PayPal account, and after a 60-day waiting period, the money is yours.

“This is a great way to save money on school supplies,” said Bridget Tate, Bing Shopping product manager. “When you look at how much back-to-school items such as laptops, clothes, backpacks and tech gadgets can cost, that 5 or 10 percent really helps.” During back-to-school season, adds Tate, Bing Shopping will be offering even higher percentages of cash back (up to 50 percent more).

Getting the kids ready for school again doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Smart shopping will send them off in style and leave you with a smile.

To learn more about how to be a smart online shopper and get cash back this back-to-school season, visit Bing.com/shopping.

Shopping That Pays You Back

Shopping with the following merchants through Bing.com could give you savings like these:

Back to School Gear and Gadgets

HP, 5%
OfficeMax.com, 3 to 5%
BarnesandNoble.com, 10%

Back to School Fashion

Shoemall.com, 19%
Sears.com, 2 to 8%
Old Navy, 4%
Ebags.com, 11%
Foot Locker, 20%
Benefit.com, 2%
Beautychoice.com, 10%
Nordstrom.com, 3%

Learning To Share…Everything

Two boys in a first grade classroom were arguing loudly over an item they both wanted to use at the same time.

Their teacher approached them in a friendly way and said, “Boys, it sounds like you two are having a problem. Let’s talk it out.”

One of the boys told his side of the story, his face still tense but his voice lowered to an “indoor” volume. The second boy listened and then, without any prompting, came up with a solution to which the first boy readily agreed.

“Great job!” the teacher beamed. “See? You can talk it out!”

A TEACHING PERSPECTIVE CAN PRODUCE AMAZING RESULTS WHEN KIDS BEHAVE INAPPROPRIATELY.

If we approach unwanted behavior from the perspective of our child’s judge/jury/jailer, our first impulse may be to punish.

But punishment doesn’t teach kids what they SHOULD be doing. It doesn’t expand kids’ problem-solving skills, teach them how to repair social mistakes, or improve their social perception.

Fortunately, punishment isn’t the only available tool.

WE CAN CHOOSE TO VIEW THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AS A “TEACHABLE MOMENT.”

When the teacher in the story above heard the two boys arguing, she spotted a chance to teach better social problem-solving.

Inviting the boys to “talk it out” reminded them of their capacity to problem-solve without shouting or arguing. They saw that “talking it out” could work, and they were more likely to “talk it out” next time.

A teaching perspective has room for punishment in some cases, but the focus is on helping kids learn the skills they need to behave appropriately.

If we view inappropriate behavior as a learning opportunity for the child, new options open up.

HERE ARE TEN CHOICES FOR MAKING THE MOST OF A TEACHABLE MOMENT:
1. Redirect the child toward a more appropriate activity.

2. Inform the child that what they’re doing “isn’t a good idea” or “isn’t safe.”

3. Give a friendly reminder about the rule the child needs to be following.

4. Guide the child through the steps of apologizing.

5. Ask the child to consider how others feel when she engages in the inappropriate behavior.

6. Help the child make amends to anyone negatively affected by the inappropriate behavior. Ask, “What can we do to help (name of person) feel better now?”

7. In the case of a conflict, prompt the children to “talk it out,” providing assistance as needed.

8. Give a new rule, if the situation wasn’t covered by the rules the child has already been taught.

9. Invite the child to think of a better to way to ask for what they want or need in the situation.

10. Teach the child appropriate words/behaviors to replace the inappropriate ones.

The rules of appropriate social behavior take a long time to learn and an even longer time to internalize as habits. Even adults don’t do it perfectly!

When we use our child’s behavior mistakes as opportunities to offer guidance, we’re giving our child their best chance to become more kind, responsible and socially competent. Find more great stuff at FamilyCrossings.com

Grandma is online!!

Being a good grandparent is not something that one has to learn how to do. It comes from within. A bond between grandparent and grandchild is a special one that must be nurtured if it is to grow properly. Of course, there are many great things that can be done in order to maintain that bond. Grandparents will find that they often have to make it a point to get involved with grandchildren when it comes to things they are interested in doing. This can be overwhelming if you feel that the age difference makes this difficult. There are many great aspects of being a grandparent. From sharing interests to being a reliable source of comfort, grandparents play a large role in a child’s life.

It’s a good idea to organize a weekly get together online with your grandkids. Quality time together is seriously underrated these days. Make it a point to do something together, an activity you can both share. Set up a “virtual play date” online via play a friendly game or have dinner together while you catch up on recent events that your family members have posted. A designated time and date together will also help young kids to have an appreciation for their grandparents, something that is essential for kids to grow up with proper values.

Being a good grandparent is not something that one has to learn how to do. It comes from within. A bond between grandparent and grandchild is a special one that must be nurtured if it is to grow properly.

Of course, there are many great things that can be done in order to maintain that bond. Grandparents will find that they often have to make it a point to get involved with grandchildren when it comes to things they are interested in doing.

This can be overwhelming if you feel that the age difference makes this difficult.

There are many great aspects of being a grandparent. From sharing interests to being a reliable source of comfort, grandparents play a large role in a child’s life.

It’s a good idea to organize a weekly get together online with your grandkids.

Quality time together is seriously underrated these days. Make it a point to do something together, an activity you can both share. Set up a “virtual play date” online via play a friendly game or have dinner together while you catch up on recent events that your family members have posted.

A designated time and date together will also help young kids to have an appreciation for their grandparents, something that is essential for kids to grow up with proper values. Even your teen grandchildren NEED you! With FamilyCrossings.com you can bond with your teenager! They are online anyway, why not share stories via the web of your childhood? Upload photos of when you were their age.

Share a live chat, and play an interactive game with your grandchild!

Why? Games are great to play together. It allows you to be interactive with your grandchildren rather than simply trying to make small talk.

Other interactive things that are great are movies or even a visit to a museum or other interesting type of event. Learning together eliminates restrictions imposed by the age difference.

When you are both learning something new together, the fun you have is increased.

Doing something special together is essential for building that bond with your grandchildren. Attending church together can be really special for the family that places importance in this. By building your values together, they will learn from you as they are learning to respect you.

As your relationship builds and your virtual dates become more routine, why not build your family tree? This is also an option at FamilyCrossings! try it for FREE today!