Children tend to have someone at their beck and call—someone called Mom (and Dad). I know there are many busy moms out there like me who may work in or out of the home, are juggling kids, the household, the spouse—and trying to squeeze in one more thing on the to-do list. The very idea of having someone to help me out is simply irresistible. And for those of us who live in the Providence area, we are lucky enough to have someone at our Beck and Call. Melissa Laundry is a stay-at-home mom with lots of free time since her son goes to school all day. She will run all sorts of errands: pick up dry cleaning, make coffee runs to the office, handle vet visits for your pet, wrap a birthday present, or come to your home or office to notarize your papers, and more. She charges an hourly rate with a half-hour minimum. So, if you need a little help with your to-do list, you may want Melissa at your Beck and Call. And imagine what a brilliant gift this would be for a new mom—one size fits all!

You may have noticed a change to the Kidoinfo events calendar. With the help of my techie husband, Doug, we have set up Google Calendar to track events instead of 30 Boxes. Although I liked the way 30 Boxes looked, it did not always display all events or allow you to save an event to your own calendar. I am in the process of testing more sophisticated calendars that will allow readers to input their own events and share them friends with a click of a button. In the meantime, Google Calendar allows you to see a list of events by day, and with one click you can expand the event to see a description and the location. You can also add any of these events to your own calendar using the iCal format.

On a personal calendar note: I am on a quest to organize my life - stay on top of e-mails, PTO and work meetings, article deadlines, and a night out with my husband or gal pals. I have been searching for a calendar that works, a reliable place to jot down my ideas, and a place to track my contacts. Anna recently wrote about this topic on her blog, “To do today: tell me how you stay organized,” and many readers have commented on what they do. I am curious about what works for you. Are you a Post-it person or paperless? Just as in parenting, other people’s tips and tricks can be enormously helpful.

I am a notebook person (maybe too many), and I use a combo of online and offline systems which I will write more about later. I’ve also started using Google Calendar for myself, which allows me to set up separate calendars for work, school, and home. I can see them all at once or turn off the ones I do not want with a simple click. I can also share the calendars with my husband so he knows when we have a school event, the kids have a doctor’s appointment, or when we’ve scheduled a babysitter.

I invite you to share your thoughts about the new Kidoinfo Events Calendar and how you stay organized.

Daylight Saving Time is March 9, 2008.

I find it helpful to set our clocks forward 1 hour before we go to bed tonight so when we wake up we know what time it is supposed to be. Read from our archives, Time to Spring Forward for helpful tips and activities about time.

My boys are currently into anything about space—from Star Wars to our Solar System. Since I had time on my mind while I was surfing the web for cool clocks I was drawn to this Out Of This World Clock from Olive Kids.

Okay, it’s New Year’s again – time to make my resolutions or check how I did with last year’s. And this year I am blogging about it. One of the advantages of publishing a blog is once this is posted I know I won’t lose my list and knowing others will read it may help keep me on task.

My list of 2008 New Year’s Resolutions is really a list of personal and professional goals. The key to success, according to the experts, is to make a plan on how to accomplish your objectives. (I think some of these experts had dependable childcare or didn’t have kids.)

Business
• Do work that is creative, inspires me and is useful to others
• Make a To-do list every day and use it
• Learn at least one new technology this year
• Never leave more than 10 emails in my inbox

Personal
• Read to my kids every day
• Be mindful of our planet and its resources
(Recycle, Reuse, Reduce what we use. Clichéd but true)
• Stay on top of domestic chores (Well the laundry is clean, just not always folded)
• Find an exercise plan that fits my lifestyle
• Don’t eat chocolate. Eat less chocolate. Eat dark chocolate
• Drink less coffee
• Be thankful for good friends and family

It may be helpful to share all or just some of your resolutions with your kids. Ask them if they want to make their own resolutions. This could be a valuable opportunity to teach your children about values and goal setting. Click comments to share your resolutions or tips on how to accomplish them.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 am on the first Sunday in November, when people in most parts of the United States move their clocks back an hour. This made for a brighter Halloween this year. But since it now gets dark earlier, this means I will miss the daylight during the dinner hour and will dread being awakened an hour earlier by my boys. For the kids, it means less time at the park and having to reset their sleep clock.

Make the most of these dark evenings with your kids by starting a game night, reading new books, making shadow puppets, watching a classic movie, or having a puppet show. For the wee ones, try listening to some lullabies to ease the transition to the new bedtime. For the early morning hour, I am happy that my programmable coffee maker makes the coffee before I am even up.

Don’t forget to turn back all of your clocks (car, thermostats, electronics, appliances) and replace old batteries with new ones in all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. (More tips at Consumer Reports)

In the spring, I wrote about ways to get your kid interested in time when we started daylight savings. Read here for suggested books, DIY projects, and useful links to time tools and references.

Current - Eastern Time:

After talking to parents and reading many back-to-school lists in magazines and online, I have put together our own Kidoinfo School Checklist. Have your own great back to school tips? Please click comments below and share them with our readers.

Medical records:
Most schools require an immunization record for every student. Make sure you get a copy from your child’s doctor and bring it on the first day of school (or whatever deadline set by the school). If your child has allergies, you should notify the school principal, nurse, your child’s teacher(s), etc. in writing.

Backpack/School bag:
Our boys’ preschool preferred the kids to have canvas bags void of zippers or buttons so the kids could easily open and close them without help. We found plain canvas tote bags at Michaels Craft Store. Once kids start grade school, they’ll need a sturdy backpack that is built to last. If they are heading to school for the first time, help get your kids excited by personalizing their backpack or school bag with decorations, patches, or iron-on transfers, or stash a secret message or picture inside for them. Make sure to clearly mark your child’s name on the bag.

Lunchbox:
There is a lot to choose from. Select one that is easy for your child to carry or that fits inside a backpack. Label it with your child’s name - a sharpie marker usually works well. Recent studies from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) have shown that some vinyl lunchboxes may contain lead. Find out more from CEH. Some lunchboxes are now labeled “lead-free,” but CEH cannot affirm that these labels are accurate and recommend that parents test lunchboxes with a lead swabbing kit to ensure that their child’s lunchbox is safe. Find out how to test your lunch box. Have extra icepacks on hand and plastic containers for food storage.

School supplies:
Once you get a list of school supplies keep it handy in your purse so you can pick things up when you are out doing errands. Supplies will vary depending on the school and age of student but they may include a pencil case, Crayons, markers, binders, and assignment book.

Shoes:
Chances are kids will need a good pair of everyday shoes and a pair of sneakers. I love the Merrell Jungle Moc Nubuck for kids - it’s built to last in rain and snow and easy to slip on. You can find many variations of this shoe at LLBean, Target, Payless, and other retailers. Sneakers are bit trickier for us - I usually try my luck at Marshalls or Target but finding the right size is pretty dicey.

Clothes:
Check if your school has a uniform policy before shopping for new clothes. Some schools have guidelines for what they do not allow students to wear (e.g., flip flops, T-shirts with logos, jeans). For most of my kids’ clothes, I have great luck at Target and local consignment shops. But my boys are exceptionally tall and finding pants that fit is a bit tricky even with the adjustable waistbands. This year I am checking out Gap online and Lands End slim departments. Because of growth spurts I try to not buy their clothes too far in advance. Make sure your kids have all-weather gear - from rain to snow so they can enjoy the time outdoors.

Change of clothes:
Keeping a change of clothes for kids in school is a good idea. Whether they are at preschool and potty training or a kindergartner who gets soaked in a mud puddle, an extra set of socks, underwear, shirts, and pants may come in handy.

Essential binder for parents:
My boys used to go to Child’s Play. At the beginning of the year, they gave us a three-ring binder filled with the school’s policies, including sick days, school calendar, etc. I am not sure what the Providence public schools hand out yet but I plan to make my own binder if one is not provided and I’ll divide it into the following sections:
• School calendar
• PTO information
• General school reminders
• Separate section for each kid’s class, listing with class events and reminders

Homework area:
Set up a designated area in your house where kids can do their homework. Whether it is the kitchen table or a desk in their room, have a place for their school supplies - pencils, paper, scissors, etc.

Learn more great health and safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).