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

(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) 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 07/13/07)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) 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 07/12/07) 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) Education is valuable throughout your life, and the achievements you make today can determine the salaries you earn over a lifetime.

(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) 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) 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 07/12/07) 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 07/13/07)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 07/12/07) 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 07/13/07) 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) 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) 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)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) 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) 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.