(Distributed 07/13/07) As you prep your college-bound kids for all the perils in life, don’t forget money management, advises LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Where does the time go? With mixed emotions, you and your child will be preparing for the start of the next school year. But you don’t want one of those emotions to be one of panic.

(Distributed 07/13/07) With the start of the school year, parents often have high expectations and positive thoughts for the coming school year. Getting off to a great start requires three simple, but important, ingredients, according to LSU AgCenter 4-H youth development professor Dr. Janet Fox.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Don't let your child's after-school snack attack catch you off guard. Keep plenty of healthy food choices from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid on hand to satisfy ravenous appetites.

(Distributed 07/13/07) It happens to almost every parent – your child brings home a report card that is less than satisfactory in your eyes. How do you handle it? Do you blow a gasket? Or ignore it, hoping it will go away?

(Distributed 07/13/07) Before your preteen goes back to school this year, remember that many changes take place during the preteen and teen years. It will be important that you be particularly perceptive at this time even though this is the time your child wants to be more independent, according to LSU AgCenter family and child development expert Dr. Diane Sasser.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Whether your child is starting kindergarten, first grade, middle school or high school, the transition to a new setting can be stressful. To make a smooth transition, it’s important to take a few steps to making the transition a positive one, according to 4-H youth development expert Dr. Janet Fox.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Expressing your individuality and exercising comfort are the most important considerations for deciding what to wear as a college student.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Start the school year off right by sending your kids to school using a budget and the money-management skills you will teach them. Back-to-school planning offers many opportunities to demonstrate budgeting techniques and to set positive examples, according to LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed 07/13/07)Sometimes financing a college education is often a partnership involving the student, family, school and a lending agency. LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker encourages college students to find out each partner’s responsibilities.

(Distributed 07/13/07) The rush to school and work each day means some things have to be sacrificed – and often that includes breakfast. Surveys show that as many as 48 percent of girls and 32 percent of boys do not eat breakfast every day.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Parents want to see their children succeed in school. Believe it or not, school success often depends on what happens outside of school, according to LSU AgCenter family and child development professor Dr. Diane Sasser.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Moving away from home for the first time is a pivotal moment. It is one of the rites of passage from youth to adulthood.

(Distributed 07/13/07) Back-to-school time always brings out mixed emotions. Students are excited to see their friends and get back into a comfortable routine but not looking forward to studying and the confines of a school day.

(Distributed 07/13/07) As a parent or guardian, no one knows your child as you do. You know your child’s personality, strengths, weaknesses and interests. The school you choose should reflect your family’s values and meet your child’s needs.

(Distributed 07/12/07) More than 179,000 youth in Louisiana have found a home in 4-H. The new school year offers the opportunity for students to join 4-H clubs where they can interact with others who have common interests, according to LSU AgCenter director of the 4-H Youth Program Dr. Mark Tassin.

(Distributed 07/12/07) With the start of school, many parents’ thoughts go to preparing their child for a positive start. Little to no thought, however, is spent figuring out how parents can get involved in supporting their child during the school year, according to 4-H youth development professor Dr. Janet Fox.

(Distributed 07/12/07) A garden provides a site for hands-on lessons about fruits and vegetables, important components of our diet.

(Distributed 07/12/07) Students of all ages use backpacks to make their lives easier by organizing and carrying books and school supplies. Colors, styles and fabric selections are among the many difficult decisions to make when purchasing a backpack.

(Distributed 07/12/07) Back-to-school time isn’t just for kids. Adults have responsibilities, too, according to LSU AgCenter family resource management specialist Dr. Karen Overstreet.

(Distributed 07/12/07) School pride is often equated with athletics and team support, but it means much more to a youth. School pride involves a sense of belonging, of being part of something that is bigger than the individual and through which one finds value and identity.

(Distributed 07/12/07) A milestone for many families is the day their child begins kindergarten. Typically, in Louisiana, children must be age 5 prior to September 30 to enter kindergarten.

(Distributed 07/12/07) Education is valuable throughout your life, and the achievements you make today can determine the salaries you earn over a lifetime.

(Distributed 07/12/07) Employment is more than a way for students to make money, according to LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker. It also can foster a sense of self-worth, develop a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, enable a contribution to society and cultivate a sense of professional identity.

(Distributed 07/12/07) Athletes need adequate fluids for optimal physical performance. Dehydration impairs performance by causing cramps, weakness and headache. Dehydration can lead to higher core body temperature, which increases strain on the cardiovascular system. Untreated, dehydration can cause heat stroke.

(Distributed July 2006) When your child goes off to college, the experience can be a grueling one for both of you. To make the best of the situation, avoid these mistakes, according to LSU AgCenter family life professor Dr. Diane Sasser.

(Distributed July 2006) The rush to school and work each day means some things have to be sacrificed – and often that includes breakfast. Surveys show that as many as 48 percent of girls and 32 percent of boys do not eat breakfast every day.

(Distributed July 2006) With more and more parents working and the need for child care increasing, parents need to plan carefully for quality child care for their children. You can do many things to become a better consumer of quality child care, according to LSU AgCenter specialist Dr. Becky White.

(Distributed July 2006) Choosing the right kind of child care is one of the most daunting tasks any parent will ever have to do. Countless emotions flood a new mother at the mere thought of letting someone else care for her tiny bundle of joy.

(Distributed July 2006) Nearly 181,000 youth in Louisiana have found a home in 4-H. The new school year offers the opportunity for students to join 4-H clubs where they can interact with others who have common interests, according to LSU AgCenter Terril Faul,director of the 4-H Youth Program.

(Distributed July 2006) When kids run in the door after a day at school, a snack usually is the first thing on their minds. Help your child be snack-wise with healthy food choices from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid.

(Distributed July 2006) Earning money provides a sense of accomplishment and responsibility, says AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker. High school students can develop good habits today to reach their financial goals for tomorrow.

(Distributed July 2006) It’s never too late to help your child succeed in school. Developing success skills occurs at home as well as in the classroom, according to LSU AgCenter 4-H youth expert Janet Fox.

(Distributed July 2006) Independent spending decisions quickly become an everyday routine for college students, but that independence assumes a financial freedom that most young adults are not prepared to handle, according to LSU AgCenter family economics specialist Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed July 2006) Employment is more than a way for students to make money, according to LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker. It also can foster a sense of self-worth, develop a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, enable a contribution to society and cultivate a sense of professional identity.

(Distributed July 2006) Being the parent of a college freshman can be challenging. College students undergo many changes as they begin their journey to independence, says LSU AgCenter family life professor Dr. Diane Sasser.

(Distributed July 2006) Louisiana school districts expecting federal lunch reimbursements must have a school wellness policy in place at the start of the 2006 academic year. This is the provision of an act of Congress signed by President George W. Bush in 2004.

(Distributed July 2006) The new school year is a good time for your college-bound student to learn sound budgeting techniques. Help your young adult plan a budget while teaching money management skills in the process, advises LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed July 2006) Many families who aren’t quite satisfied with their child care arrangements find August the right time to search for new options, according to LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed July 2006) Every competitive and recreational athlete needs adequate amounts of fluids to perform their best. Not replacing lost water leads to weakness, cramps and headaches, according to LSU Agricultural Center nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed July 2006) One of life’s perils for the college-bound student can be a credit card. As you prep your kids for all the pitfalls in life, don’t forget money management, advises LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed July 2006) Think you have fear of the unknown? Some of the most stressful times for children are moving from one classroom to another, according to LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed July 2006) Back to school means take-along lunches for some kids and teachers. It’s important to take extra care of foods packed in the morning and not eaten until lunchtime to prevent growth of bacteria that cause foodborne illness, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed July 2006) What are you doing to start the new school year? Don’t have kids in school? It doesn’t matter. A good education for all students should be everyone’s concern, according to LSU AgCenter family resource management specialist Dr. Karen Overstreet.