Perhaps you’re anxious about how they’re going to cope with the new routine, or just how you’re going to manage packing a vaguely nutritious lunch every day that they’ll actually eat.

Our fine community of wise and organised ÌÇÐÄVlog parents has put together a hoard of brilliant top tips for parents of school kids of all ages who are about to head back to the classroom. 

Here’s what they have to say…

1. Label, label, label

OK, so we know kids will lose stuff, probably a lot of stuff. ÌÇÐÄVlog parent Tracy concurs: “Label everything,” she says. “With permanent marker – especially hats, jumpers, lunch boxes, drink bottles and pencil cases.” 

“It can be worth ordering those name stickers and iron-on things and letting your child customise them, pick the colours and patterns they want, and then go crazy labelling everything themselves,” she says.

These stickers come in a range of sizes so you can label everything from containers, shoes and books to pencils and stationary too.

ÌÇÐÄVlog parent, Rebecca, says, “My sons enjoy getting involved in labelling all their school items. It gets them excited for the start of the school year and gives them a sense of accountability for their belongings.”

There are many websites that offer cheap labels you can design yourself, from Big W to Tinyme, Hippo Blue, Stuck on You and Bright Star Kids.

2. To your stations!

Bags, shoes, lunch and extra curricular stations are a great idea to keep your kids (and the family as a whole) organised. This can be as simple as a set of baskets lined up near the front door or in your child’s room, or you can get fancy with built-in cubbies if you have the space (and budget).

Getting the kids into the habit of returning these items to their stations when they get home after school goes a long way to staying organised throughout the year.

You can even do it with school lunches. One ÌÇÐÄVlog parent says: “My kids are old enough to pack their own lunches so I allocate an entire shelf in the pantry for school snacks and they know they can pick and choose from this shelf only. Freeze sandwiches over the weekend for the entire week (bread rolls are better than sliced bread for this).”

ÌÇÐÄVlog parent Simon suggests: “Get the first school day of supplies ‘station-ready’ with bag and uniforms at arm’s reach, so everything is easy to find and ready to go.”

Another parent says: “Ensure the kids take responsibility for the things they can actually do. There are loads of websites that can help you decide what is an age-appropriate task. For example, most kids should be able to pack their own lunches from age six.”

3. Reward, chore or responsibility charts

Kids love a reward chart. Even if you don’t want to associate the tasks with a reward, some kids thrive off a visual representation of what needs to be done in their day. One they can mark off as they get different tasks done.

You can buy these charts from many places like Kmart or Officeworks or you can even DIY and get the kids involved with stickers and the like.

Make your bed, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, pack your bag and put on shoes and a hat. You can customise your list with whatever is happening in your household and tasks that are age appropriate for your child. You can even add in what is happening on particular days (library day, sport day, extra curricular day).

These charts can help to develop good habits, create independence and confidence and develop time-management skills. It can make mornings less stressful if they can go through their list without you having to constantly tell them what’s next.

But make sure you give your child plenty of time in the morning to get their tasks done. There’s nothing worse than a child who feels stressed and rushed in the morning. The most basic of tasks can become painful and time-consuming.

4. Shop smart

Tracy suggests doing a ‘home inventory’ with your child before you head to the shops to stock up on school supplies. See what you already have lying about the house that can be used again and suggest that if your child reuses older things, they can spend the money they’ve saved on something else – a reward for themselves, or a charity donation of their choice.  

And she urges caution: “If you have to visit a shopping centre, chart a careful course through that steers your child well away from shops like Smiggle and Typo. They’re the McDonalds of kids’ stationery!”

Shop around for the best deals, ask if the retailer offers price-matching and be sure to check unit pricing to ensure you’re getting the best value.

A good approach for when your child is asking for all sorts of things is to start with ‘No’ and negotiate from there. If you’re going to succumb to the car-shaped pencil case your child insists they need, make sure they value it and know that it has to last them. 

5. Shoes: Buy early or leave to the last minute? 

ÌÇÐÄVlog parents are divided on this one. Some suggest getting shoes early so your child (especially if they’re starting kindy) can wear them around at home to get comfy in them and avoid blisters. 

Other parents say you should wait until the absolute last minute – the summer holidays are long and kids can have a growth spurt at any time! See our 6 steps to make sure your kids’ shoes fit.

Be prepared that you may need to make another shoe purchase throughout the year. “My children either grow out of their shoes mid year or wear them out so much that they can’t possibly see out the year in the same pair,” says Rebecca. “No matter how much you spend on quality shoes, children have a way of testing them to their absolute limits.”

Another ÌÇÐÄVlog parent, Rachel, says to take advantage of the sales for school shoes at the beginning of the year. “If you find a pair of school shoes they love and the store is offering a discount on a second pair, buy the next size up as well. You’ll thank yourself later in the year when their toes have broken through and there are no school shoes for sale in the stores.”

6. Break holiday habits

If you’ve been a little lax with screen time over the school holidays, now might be a good time to start scaling it back, perhaps enforcing no screen time in the mornings (when they’ll soon be getting ready for school) and no screen time after a certain time in the evening.

Allocate a time before bed for reading books or doing lower-stimulation activities, such as word searches or crossword puzzles.

You may also be more relaxed when it comes to bed time during the holidays. Late nights, early mornings, busy fun-filled days, maybe even the occasional day-time nap (what a dream). Getting the kids back into a bed-time routine the week before school starts will hopefully save you from having to drag them out of bed on the first day.

7. Be positive!

Kids will often take their cues from you – so remind them about all the great things they like about school. Simon suggests reminding your child that playing with their friends is much better than hanging out with mum or dad. 

Plus, to ease the transition, you can blur the gap a little between school and holiday by balancing work and play. 

“We play some during school terms, learn some during holidays. We’ve spent at least an hour a day during the holidays working on his reading and writing skills so it’s less of a change when he goes back to school,” says Simon.

8. Get creative to save time 

Being organised the night before will save time and sanity in the morning.

This golden stress-saving tip comes from ÌÇÐÄVlog parent Marg: “I used to set the table for breakfast (cereal in the box, bowls and spoons), fill the kettle, put tea bags in the cups, lay out uniforms and have bags packed all before I went to bed. My husband would laugh at me but it really helped take the stress out of the mornings.”

9. Travel training

For children who may be ready to walk or ride a bicycle to school by themselves, or take the bus, you might like to start them on some ‘travel training’ while still on holidays. 

Take the bus or train with them, or walk or ride the route they’ll be taking to school a few times to help them get used to it. 

“My son is going to high school so we are riding our bikes to and from the new school for an entire week prior to him starting,” says another ÌÇÐÄVlog parent.

10. Make friends with the freezer, and involve your kids 

ÌÇÐÄVlog parents are big on being prepared with lunches. One says, “My biggest learning is to freeze sandwiches and snacks so I always have something to throw in their lunchboxes. I always pack lunches the night before as we’re out early in the mornings.” 

“Fresh sandwiches freeze well, particularly with fillings such as jam, Vegemite, chicken, cheese (grated only, otherwise it gets too crumbly) – just make ahead and take out the night before or in the morning before they head off to school. They will be surprisingly fresh and soft by lunchtime,” she says. 

Kathleen also suggests using reusable fabric or beeswax sandwich bags to reduce plastic, and freeze treats like muffins, donuts and cupcakes.  

“Cupcakes freeze well with icing if it covers the cupcake completely, and cream cheese icing freezes really well,” she says. 

Ash also says that involving your kids in lunchbox shopping and prep is not only a great way to teach them new skills, but can make them more engaged and more likely to actually eat what you’ve packed them.

Stock up on snacks you know your kids love when they’re on special and be sure to check the unit prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal. For example, cheese and cracker packs are convenient but can be much more expensive than purchasing a block of cheese and box of crackers and portioning the servings yourself.

11. Crafty contact

As kids across the country prepare to trudge again towards the classroom, you can almost feel the collective palpable panic of the mums and dads that abhor one thing above all else: contacting exercise books. Who would have thought that applying a simple clear sheet of plastic to a book could cause so much anxiety?

Anyone who has painstakingly smoothed out the sticky substance over a crisp new textbook only to discover they’ve created the telltale creasing or bubbling of a contact fail will understand the fear.

One creative solution is to buy clear plastic book covers (available from shops like Officeworks) and then design your own special covers for each school subject. It may be something your child can do on the computer on their own, or a team effort that you can get involved in.

These plastic covers may cost more than a roll of book covering but the saving to your sanity may be well worth it.

12. Teach the kids about waste

If your kids are old enough, now could be a good time to talk to them about reducing waste and how the little things they can do can make a difference. You could watch documentaries such as  together to start the conversation and encourage them to be more responsible with their belongings. 

Praise kids for reusing things and making them last, then hopefully you’ll be making fewer trips to lost property as an added bonus!

The post Sanity-saving tips for thriving and surviving in the new school year appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Why it's so important for school shoes to fit properly
• How to measure your child's feet at home
• What to look for in school shoes
• How to extend the life of school shoes
• What about trainers?
• Does price matter?

It’s an annual dilemma for parents of school-aged children (and sometimes a biannual dilemma if they have a growth spurt) – and it can be a costly decision to get wrong. 

So how do you know which shoes to choose?

Why it’s so important for school shoes to fit properly

The bones in young children’s feet don’t fuse together until puberty. This means their feet can lack muscle strength and be prone to hypermobility, which is why they need firm, supportive shoes to help protect them while they’re growing.

“A good school shoe provides a stable home for immature bones,” says Charlotte Bodell, a podiatrist and spokesperson for the Australian Podiatry Association.

“Without that support, children are in danger of developing flat feet, sore knees, shin splints and even back pain. A good shoe that fits properly is important.”

Bodell adds that good footwear alone isn’t enough. “It’s also important for children to carry out regular daily exercise to keep their feet and lower limbs strong and healthy,” she says.

Size check

Kids’ feet grow quickly and can change shape as well as size. Experts recommend doing a size check at these intervals:

• One to three months up to the age of three years.
• Every four months up to the age of five.
• Every six months until your child stops growing completely.

How to measure your child’s feet at home

Whether you’re minimising shopping trips because of COVID-19,  or you can’t get to a shoe store, there are ways to measure your child’s feet at home so you know which size to choose. 

Clarks sells an , which you can use to measure the length and width of your child’s feet, and to calculate the right shoe size. 

Williams offers an online measure and fit service called . This guides you through the process of taking pictures of your child’s feet to be uploaded and analysed. It will then recommend a size. 

DIY foot measurements

Alternatively, you can follow this general step-by-step guide to measuring your child’s foot, then use those measurements to find the right size shoe for whichever brand you’re interested in. (Most stores will have a size guide on their website.)Ìý

What to look for in school shoes

“The best kind of school shoes should be supportive, durable and comfortable, with a good gripping sole,” says Bodell. 

Here’s what you should look for:

• Flexibility in the front. Pick up the shoe and try to bend it by pushing the toe upwards. A good shoe will bend at the ball of the foot but no further. This helps your child ‘push off’ with their toes while keeping the back half of their foot stable and secure.
• Avoid too much flexibility. Shoes that bend all over or are easily twisted don’t give enough support.
• A good school shoe will have a low heel to keep your child’s foot in a neutral position. An entirely flat shoe can cause your child’s toes to ‘claw’ when walking.
• Not too heavy. Heavy shoes can cause muscle pain and foot aches, especially in little people.
• Plenty of toe room. Check that your child can wiggle their toes and that the ‘toe box’ (the empty space at the end of the shoe) is deep.
• Leather uppers tend to last longer than synthetic ones and let your child’s feet breathe (although shoes or trainers with synthetic ‘mesh’ uppers can be very breathable too).
• The sock liner or insole should be soft, comfortable and made of an absorbent fabric to reduce sweating. You should be able to remove it easily, in case you need to replace it with an orthotic.
• Shoe laces, buckles and Velcro are all equally good, but avoid slip-on shoes that can’t be adjusted.

When is it time for new shoes?

• When toes are touching the end it’s time to size up.
• When the tread on the bottom of the shoe has worn away, as they can be too slippery.
• Lots of wear on the side or scuff marks may mean the shoe is too tight.
• When there are holes in the toes, or the heels are worn down badly.

How to extend the life of school shoes

A bit of regular maintenance can help prolong the life of school shoes. 

Keep them clean

Use a soft damp cloth to remove any dirt or mud. If the shoes have removable inner soles, check them regularly, as sand or dirt can easily get trapped.

Use polish

Shoe polish can help reduce scuffs, as well as add shine and protection to leather footwear.

Keep them dry

Stuff wet shoes with newspaper to help draw out moisture while retaining the shoe’s shape. Don’t put leather shoes in front of a heater, as this can over-dry the shoes and crack the leather.

Repair

Try to fix shoes at the first sign of wear. A cobbler can repair soles or replace a sock liner. If laces are frayed, replace them before they snap. (Also, repairing shoes is usually cheaper than buying new ones and saves on landfill.)

Store them correctly

Instead of piling them on top of each other, which can cause damage, try to get your kids into the habit of putting shoes on a rack or in a box. 

What about trainers?

Trainers (runners) are an excellent option for school children if the uniform policy allows them. As long as the trainer isn’t designed to be a super-flexible shoe (such as Nike Free), then a quality training or sports shoe has the advantage of being very supportive and light, as well as holding the foot stable.

Bodell says the only downside is that many trainers have a mesh upper, which can wear out quicker than a leather upper, yet often cost just as much. But she says more running shoes are being made for school children with a black leather upper, which will wear much better.

Does price matter?

Shoes are made differently and with different materials, depending on their cost, according to Kate McArthur, director of City Feet Clinic and a podiatrist with a background in shoe analysis and fitting.

So what does the extra money buy you?

• Higher quality shoes tend to be stitched instead of glued.
• Cheaper shoes often have cardboard for the ‘last’ – the piece that runs through the sole of the shoe to help hold its shape.  More expensive shoes may use a harder-wearing polyurethane material.
• Better made shoes will also have well-padded lining made from breathable fabrics and use fewer synthetics.
• The soles of some shoes may be ‘blown out’, which means there are air pockets inside the sole. Blown-out soles can add cushioning and create a lighter shoe, but they can also make the soles wear out and sink more easily.

In 2018, we decided to get a closer look at what you get for your money.

We bought five pairs of classic black lace-up school shoes, at a wide range of prices:

• Grosby leather lace-up boys’ shoes (2018 model, now discontinued)
• Target Eton Grad lace-up school shoes (2018 model, 2022 RRP $35)
• Lynx Arrow (2018 model, now discontinued)
• ROC Larrikin (2018 model, 2022 RRP $149.95)
• Clarks Daytona Senior (2018 model, 2022 RRP $149.95).

We then cut each shoe from toe to heel and asked podiatry experts McArthur and Bodell to assess them and analyse the differences.

Although the shoes we chose are no longer the latest models available in stores (and one pair has been discontinued), the results are a useful guide of what to look for in a school shoe. 

What the experts found

Both our experts called the Clarks shoes the ‘gold standard’ and agreed they were the best of the bunch, being very good quality and coming in a range of widths and lengths.

But they also commented on the high price. This is something to consider if your child’s feet are growing quickly and you may need to go up a size before the shoe wears out.

Bodell thought the Lynx shoes were a good product for a good price, but rated both the Target and Grosby shoes as poor (they were also the cheapest).

McArthur also rated the Grosby shoes as poor, but said the Target shoes could be an option if your child’s feet are going through a growth spurt, leaving little time for serious wear and tear.

“They aren’t great, but they’d be OK if your child is only wearing them for a few months as a budget option,” she says.

Expensive

Clarks – Daytona Senior 

(2018 model, 2022 RRP $149.95)

Good points

• Supportive, padded heel cup
• Deep, roomy toe box
• Firm toe cap
• Suede lining to reduce sweating
• Sturdy last
• Steel shank from heel to midfoot to prevent bending
• Solid sole
• Good heel height.

Bad points

• Expensive – particularly if you need to buy multiple pairs each year
• Tread may wear down more easily than on other shoes because it doesn’t run very deeply on the sole.

ROC – Larrikin 

(2018 model, 2022 RRP $149.95)

Good points

• Steel shank from heel to midfoot
• Sturdy last
• Good heel height
• Fairly lightweight.

Bad points

• Heel cup isn’t very sturdy
• Synthetic sock liner
• Soles are blown out.

Mid-range

Lynx – Arrow 

(2018 model, now discontinued)

Good points

• Firm, sturdy heel cup
• Steel shank from heel to midfoot
• Deep toe box
• Removable sock liner
• Good heel height.

Bad points

• Cardboard last
• Soles are blown out
• Synthetic sock liner.

Budget

Grosby – leather lace-up boys’ shoes 

(2018 model, now discontinued)

Good points

• Deep tread on the soles.

Bad points

• No steel shank
• Cardboard last
• Quite heavy
• Synthetic sock liner
• Flimsy heel cup
• Soles are blown out and too soft
• Top of shoe is quite wide, so not suitable for narrow feet.

Target – Eton Grad lace-up school shoes 

(2018 model, 2022 RRP $35)

Good points

• Lighter than other brands.

• Good heel height.

Bad points

• Too flexible and soft
• Soles are blown out
• No steel shank
• Cardboard last
• Synthetic sock liner.

Shoe clues – spotting problems with your child’s feet

A school shoe can indicate if your child is having problems with their gait or if they need to be assessed by a podiatrist. Here are some things to watch out for:

• If the shoe is worn down unevenly, this could mean your child has a mechanical imbalance in their foot and may need orthotics.
• If your child’s big toe is coming through the top of the shoe, they could be hyper-extending their toes owing to a lack of arch support.

The post How to buy the best school shoes appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

ÌÇÐÄVlog staff are currently working from home due to the lockdown in Sydney, and those of us with kids are also homeschooling or looking after preschoolers. We asked ÌÇÐÄVlog parents and carers to share their best tips for using tech creatively to keep kids busy and active – and hopefully quiet, so you can get some work done!

How to foster creativity with technology

• “For older kids, get them to type the start of a story, then email it to another friend to write the next part of the story. They can pass it back and forth to complete the story” – Jason
• “Try some interactive YouTube drawing videos, such as ” – Jane
• “After watching Matilda my partner dressed up as Miss Trunchbull and chased my (delightedly) screaming child around the house threatening to throw her into the Chokey. Said child then had a chance to be Miss Trunchbull and chase the adults through the house. I think post-movie dress-ups will become a regular feature at home!” – Alice
• “Try online piano tutorials of pop songs; making stop-motions with Lego characters and other filmmaking activities; music instrument and beat-making apps, and some drawing and designing apps (but beware that some are more ‘gamified’ than you think)” – Tracy
• “Ask small children to help you digitise the million artworks they’ve brought home from daycare. It’ll give them something to do, and hopefully reduce clutter at the same time – winning!” – Alice
• “If you’re allergic to craft, there are some great colouring apps for iPads that will keep the paper mess to a minimum” – Alice
• “ has some fantastic creative writing resources” – Siobahn
• “The has some LEGO activities specifically designed to inspire young engineers” – Tracy 
• “You can download the  to play together” – Alice

How to keep your kids’ brains engaged during screen time

If your kids are going to be staring at screens instead of playing with their friends, they might as well expand their brains by learning about the world. 

Here are some more ideas from ÌÇÐÄVlog staffers:

• “Space and nature documentaries are great for older kids. Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s update of The Cosmos and Brian Cox’s Human Universe are big hits in our house, as are adventure docos like Touching the Void, The Dawn Wall and My Octopus Teacher” – Tracy
• “Instead of letting your kids just watch TV or stream YouTube all day, encourage them to listen to age-appropriate podcasts, audio books or stories. Spotify has lots of free stories for kids, from toddlers to older children. There’s also a news podcast for kids called Squiz Kids” – Pru

• “You can ask your kids’ school what online resources they use. My niece would log onto a maths one where she would compete against kids from other schools, even in the holidays, plus another site where she was coding” – Siobahn
• “Send kids on a photography mission into the backyard. They can then share their photos with friends and family, or use the internet to identify the birds, plants and insects they see” – Alice
• “ has made its collection of more than 3000 eBooks and audiobooks available for free. They have books suitable for all ages. also has more than 60,000 free eBooks” – Pru

How to travel without leaving the house

We might be stuck in Australia indefinitely, but that’s no reason to give up your dreams of showing your kids the world. Here’s what ÌÇÐÄVlog parents will be doing to expand their kids’ worlds:

• “We can’t travel at the moment, but instead I’ll be sending the kids on a ” – Rachel 
• “You can take the kids to ” – Jason
• “And there’s the ” – Tracy
• “And !” – Pru

And some more ways to explore the world – and beyond:

• Taronga Zoo has  that brings footage from both the Sydney and Western Plains zoos to your living room
•  in New York
• Take a
• on the Curiosity Rover
• , from minks to pigs to apples to eggs
• Take a virtual trip to Paris to
• Virtually
• Go to the

(We found these and many more great suggestions in the Facebook group .)Ìý

How to use technology to beat social isolation

Whether you’re homeschooling while working from home or stuck in a different state (or country) to your family and can’t visit, these can be lonely times. 

Technology can help ease the feeling of isolation – not just for kids, but also for family members and friends who you might be separated from by various travel restrictions.

• “Use FaceTime or Skype so the grandparents can read books to your kids. Or have the kids read to their grandparents to practice their reading skills.” – Alice
• “If your kids can’t go to school, encourage them to video conference or Skype with their friends, and maybe share what they’ve been doing all day to keep up the social interaction.” – Pru

You could also ask family members to take the kids to the zoo – virtually, of course. See our suggestions above for great places to ‘visit’. 

How to keep your kids active by using technology

• “Have a dance party with a favourite Spotify playlist” – Marianna
• “Our taekwondo academy not only does live Zoom classes but also has a bunch of historical classes available on YouTube. We’ve managed to clear a space in the kids room upstairs so our kiddo enrolled in martial arts can get some ‘ya yas’ out and keep busy for 40 min” – Andrea
• “P.E. with Joe is a good workout for kids and parents alike” – Alice
• “I can highly recommend Just Dance for a break, some exercise, and comedy value.” – Kate
• “The stopwatch feature on your smartphone can be a secret weapon against boredom: tell your kid you’re going to time how quickly they can run from one end of the garden to the other (or around the dining table if you’re in an apartment). For older kids, they might like to try to beat their personal best times” – Alice
• “Cosmic Kids Yoga is great, as is Storyline Online” – Jane

How to keep your kids (and yourself) safe 

• “If you’re letting them use your iPad, ensure the relevant locks and restrictions are in place (to avoid unexpected purchases!). When my daughter watches YouTube, I use the YT Kids app instead of the standard app – this ensures she doesn’t see inappropriate advertising and it remembers all her shows (and means Peppa Pig doesn’t always pop up as a suggestion on my own YouTube)” – Pru

• “Position your equipment near an outlet if possible so you don’t need to run cables across the floor, creating a trip hazard. If this isn’t an option, try to run your power leads in corners and against surfaces. Run an extension lead to your workspace and plug all your equipment into a powerboard – that way you only need to run a single cable along the floor, rather than one for your computer, monitor, phone charger, etc. And make sure cables for other devices are bundled up safely on your desk. Dangling cords are a magnet for kids and pets” – Peter
• “Scammers are likely to take advantage of the current situation and you may start receiving emails or texts with links to educational resources, information, free content for kids and so on. Do not click links or pay for anything unless you can verify the source. If it seems a bit too good to be true, it probably is” – Peter

Here are our tips avoiding phishing scams.

The post Tech tips for surviving lockdown and homeschooling with kids appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

And it’s no surprise that retailers want your money, since back-to-school is big business, with parents spending about $590 to get each child ready for the start of the year.

Every second TV ad, online banner and print ad we’ve seen in the past week seems to be telling us that the best and biggest savings can be had at one particular retailer or another.

But which retailer really is the cheapest? 

We put together a list of 17 stationery and back-to-school essentials and checked the prices at three stores to work out which one would help kids head back to school stocked up, with some canteen money to spare.

The store with the cheapest basket is… Officeworks

This year’s cheapest shop for school supplies was found at Officeworks. Its basket cost $21.37, which is $4.03 cheaper than the most expensive basket.

Our basket of 17 items cost:

• Officeworks: $21.37
• Big W: $22.50
• Kmart: $25.40.

This price comparison includes the various specials available on the day of our mystery shop. 

Off Target?

You might be wondering why we didn’t include Target in our comparison. The reason is that Target just didn’t have the range on offer for us to source products for the entire list. That’s also why we’ve not included any supermarkets in our comparison.

Depending on when you shop, you might not get the same specials we got, so we’ve also compared the total cost of each basket, based on each item’s non-sale price.

Officeworks still had the cheapest basket at $21.37.

Kmart was about $4 more expensive at $25.40, while our Big W basket was nearly $15 more expensive than Officeworks, totalling $36.08.

But even if the same specials we found don’t apply, it’s likely that some items will be on sale at these retailers and you won’t pay full price. 

What’s in the basket?

We created a standard list of school essentials that would suit most students. It comprised: 

• 5-pack HB pencils
• 12-pack coloured pencils
• 2 pencil sharpeners (with receptacle to hold shavings)
• 10-pack ballpoint pens
• 10-pack colouring pens
• Pencil case – the kind where you cut out letters to slip into the slots
• 4-pack highlighter pens
• Eraser (large)
• 2-pack glue sticks
• A4 exercise book (64 pages)
• Roll of adhesive book covering (2m)
• A4 spiral-bound notebook (120 pages)
• 2-ring binder (25mm)
• Water bottle (BPA free, 550mL or closest)
• Scissors
• Ruler (30cm)
• Correction tape.

We didn’t include a backpack or lunch box in the list because there was too much variation in quality to make a fair comparison.

Ordering online?

If you prefer to shop online rather than instore, you can choose whether to collect your order or have it delivered. 

Big W and Officeworks both have free pick-up. Kmart charges $3 for orders that cost less than $20. 

For delivery, Big W and Kmart will charge depending on your location – fees start from $7.90 for Big W and $10 for Kmart. At Officeworks, delivery costs $5.95 or is free to metropolitan areas if you spend more than $55.

How we did our price spot-check

We shopped at Kmart, Big W and Officeworks stores in Sydney on the same day in mid-January. We noted prices instore and then double-checked prices online. Wherever possible, we priced name-brand items rather than the stores’ own brands for a fairer comparison.

The post Back-to-school supplies – which store is cheapest? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Get them switched on
• Make it meaningful
• Watch out for in-app purchases
• Get social
• How to find good apps for kids
• Limiting screen time

While some apps leave no doubt they’re purely for entertainment, many – including more than a whopping 200,000 in the Apple Store alone – claim to have some educational value as well.

As it turns out, despite their educational claims, many are just digital candy. So if you’re a parent who looks for a bit of educational value for your child’s screen time, how do you sort the good apps from the bad?

We speak to the experts to find out the key ingredients that make an app educational, so you can keep your little ones learning. 

Get them switched on

One of the greatest attractions of many apps is that a simple touch or swipe can produce a response on the screen. But Dr Jennifer Zosh, an associate professor in Human Development and Family Studies at Pennsylvania State University (Brandywine) in the US, says parents should pay attention to whether that’s all their child is doing.

“Think about how your child acts when using an app,” she says. “Is she sitting there watching with that vacant look in her eyes? Is she just swiping or tapping randomly? Or is she trying to plan her next move and thinking strategically? Does she get excited? Don’t be afraid to support those interactions with questions or new ideas.” 

To learn, kids need to be ‘minds on’ – that is, mentally involved in what they’re doing. 

Activities such as figuring out where a puzzle piece goes in Busy Shapes (IOS, $4.49) or tinkering with gears and pulleys in Crazy Gears (IOS, $4.49) involve active thinking, whereas passively tapping at animations on a screen doesn’t require a great deal of mental processing.

Parents should also think about apps and activities that follow their child’s interests. 

“When children lead and adults support, learning can be maximised,” says Zosh. “If your child likes bugs [insects], discover bugs on a walk, take pictures of them, and look them up when you get home. If your child loves movies, think about having them work with you on creating a movie based on your family. 

“The more we can empower children and get them excited to learn, the more learning I would expect to see.”

Keep it fun

There’s no point getting an educational app if your child won’t play it. And the more your child enjoys the game, the more they’ll actually benefit from it.

“If your child is in a playful environment and learning in an enjoyable way they’ll be engaged with the app and learn from it,” says Dr Nicola Yelland, professor of early childhood studies at the University of Melbourne.

Zosh agrees: “Don’t underestimate the power of joy. Research suggests that children learn more when they are engaged in activities that bring them joy or are surprising.If your child dreads an activity, it likely won’t pay off when it comes to learning.”

So make sure any apps you pick include games and challenges that your child actually enjoys, rather than looking for something that’s purely educational and, well, boring.

Limit distractions

Kids need to be engaged with what they’re doing, so keeping distractions to a minimum is important – both on-screen and off. 

Some apps are their own worst nightmare when it comes to distractions, offering too many add-ons such as pop-up animations and sound effects that take a child’s attention away from the task at hand.

Another common distraction in apps designed for toddlers is fake applause or the awarding of virtual stickers. This may seem like an attractive feature to parents, but Dr Jordy Kaufman, a senior research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology, says giving out virtual prizes can actually interfere with learning and the motivation to learn.

“Not only can it distract children from reflecting on what they just learned, but it also unhelpfully suggests to children that learning is a chore that requires a reward,” he says.

Some children are more susceptible to distraction than others, so look for apps that at least allow you to switch off any add-ons if they do prove too much.

Make it meaningful

There are plenty of apps out there aimed at helping kids learn letters, numbers, and shapes, but once kids have grasped the basics, many of these apps become too simple and repetitive. 

“True learning occurs when we take that lesson or idea outside of the original example and see it in our everyday lives,” Zosh says.

So instead of an app that asks a child to touch a triangle and then showers the child with applause, Zosh suggests looking for apps that help kids identify triangles in everyday situations they can relate to. 

Parents can also think about ways to bring learning from an app into the real world – anything from counting the ingredients you are using to make dinner or finding shapes on your walk.

Check too if an app is just a random collection of games with no meaningful thread, as opposed to one that has a coherent story with missions or games that build upon one another.

In Love to Count by Pirate Trio (IOS, $5.99), for example, games such as splitting a pizza evenly for pirates to eat or balancing a set of weights on a scale teach kids how simple maths can be used in everyday life. 

Similarly, in Tic Toc Time (IOS, $5.99) games that explore the sun’s position in the sky and the position of shadows on the ground help teach kids about time.

For older kids there’s Robot School (IOS, free), in which players hone their programming skills over various levels by helping a robot return to his crashed spaceship.

Watch out for in-app purchases

Don’t get caught out by apps that are free to download but require in-app purchases for the user to progress or access the best parts of the game. 

These ‘freemium’ apps can lead your children to rack up hefty credit card bills while they play. For example, in 2011 we gave a Shonky Award to the popular game Smurfs’ Village, which charges up to $139.99 for an in-app purchase.

While having in-app purchases doesn’t necessarily mean an app is bad, the progress is often designed to be slow or incomplete unless the user makes a purchase. The game can also be disrupted by frequent purchase requests or external links to other games or apps.

Get social

Being social isn’t exactly what you think of when you see a child playing with a smartphone or tablet, but some apps can encourage social interaction, and this actually helps foster learning.

Allowing kids to either compete against each other or to work together on a single project are some of the ways apps can be designed to encourage social interaction. 

For example, Treasure Hunt By Photos (IOS, $2.99) puts a modern twist on a traditional scavenger hunt, and can be played by multiple children as they search together for hidden items around the house.

And instead of a regular storybook app, a grandparent or other relative can read to your child remotely using Caribu (IOS & Android). The subscription-based app also lets families draw together, solve puzzles, cook, and even visit museums virtually in real time.

Getting parents onboard too

But all our experts agree that the best way to make playing with a screen a social experience is for parents to get involved.

“When an app is really engaging, children will often go out of their way to share this experience with a parent,” says Kaufman. “So sometimes parents don’t need to do that much but stop looking at their own tablets and watch and respond to their children’s bids for attention.” 

Got game?

Got a few apps that don’t meet the criteria above? Don’t fret, as even these apps can provide a learning experience – so long as you’re willing to get involved.

“An app can be educational by design, but the way you interact with your child while they’re playing is what matters most,” says Dr Yelland.

While an app such as Angry Birds might seem like mind-numbing entertainment, Yelland says it can still be used to guide children towards thinking about trajectories, cause and effect, and decision-making.

And then there are games such as the hugely popular Minecraft, a highly engaging game that has no storyline, but which can inspire creativity and develop spatial awareness as kids design and build their own virtual worlds.

Apps by app-development studio Toca Boca are also popular with children. Although many of these games aren’t necessarily designed to be educational, they can still encourage creativity and imaginative thinking.  

“It’s important to have a conversation with your child about what they’re playing, what they enjoy about it, and what you think they could learn from it,” Yelland says.

“It’s the conversation that makes it educational, and you’ll be surprised by the amazing conversations you might have.”

How to find good apps for kids

Given the sheer number of apps aimed at children, finding a good one can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Here are a few tips to make it a little easier.

Ask for recommendations

If friends or family already have an app you’re considering, ask if you can have a short play to see if it’s suitable.

Try before you buy

Some apps give a free ‘lite’ version that may not offer all the features of the full version, but can still give you an idea of what it’s like before you pay.

Read user reviews

Check out online review sites such as , which rates apps according to their level of engagement and learning approach, and gives an indication of the age-appropriateness of the content. Parents and children can also give their own reviews and feedback.

Research the developer’s other apps 

If you find an app you like and that works well for your child, keep an eye out for more apps from the same developer.

ÌÇÐÄVlog tips

Here, ÌÇÐÄVlog parents share the apps their kids are currently loving. 

“ABC Reading Eggs [subscription based] is hands down the best educational app I’ve ever used. It ‘quizzes’ your child at first to see what their level of reading is, then tailors the program so they’re learning the appropriate reading and phonics skills. More importantly, my son loves it.” – Marianna Longmire, commissioning editor

“Prodigy mixes maths and magic, literally. Kids create cute fantasy characters and complete maths questions to learn spells and defeat enemies. It gets harder as they progress and parents can even get email updates about their progress. ” – Jason Treuen, content specialist

“Some favourites in our house (eight-year-old) are , ABCya [subscription based and free with in-app purchases, respectively] and Prodigy.”  – Rebecca Curran, Super Consumers Australia senior policy adviser.

“The Human Body by Tinybop is a hit in our house. And Epic is pretty good for access to thousands of books, but it is subscription based.” – Kate Bower, data analyst.

Limiting screen time

Many parents worry about the amount of screen time their kids get. 

The current Department of Health guidelines recommend children aged five to 12 years spend no more than two hours a day in front of a screen (this doesn’t include time spent using computers and other screen-based activity for homework and study). Two- to five-year-olds should have a maximum of one hour per day, whereas children less than two years of age are recommended to have no screen time at all.

Associate Professor Michael Rosenberg from the University of Western Australia says that although these guidelines came about before the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets, they still give parents the best guidance.

“The guidelines were really established around watching television and playing video games,” Rosenberg says. “But even though some apps are interactive and might not be detrimental, they still take time away from kids doing other things and they are still sedentary in nature.”

Even so, it’s clear screen time is playing a different role in the lives of kids today than it did in the past. 

Digital technology: friend or enemy of learning?

A has found that 43% of Australian educators believe digital technologies enhance teaching and learning activities. 

However, 84% also say digital technologies are a growing distraction in the learning environment, and 78% believe that students’ ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased.

The report says children must be taught how to live a responsible, safe and healthy life in the digital world that surrounds them. 

“This is not achieved by allocating blame or banning technologies (like smartphones), but by mindful education and working together on smarter sustainable solutions,” the report says.

Children and screen-time tips

The American Association of Paediatrics (AAP) has some tips for parents that go beyond the simple “switch it off” messaging of the past:

• set limits and encourage playtime 
• be a good role model and limit your own screen time
• screen time shouldn’t always be alone time – play a video game or watch a show with your kids
• keep family mealtimes, social gatherings, and children’s bedrooms screen-free
• don’t use technology as an emotional pacifier
• warn children about the importance of privacy and the dangers of predators and ‘sexting’. 

For more information and advice, visit the .

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On this page:

• Should you get tutoring for your kids?
• Six tips for finding the right tutor

Types of tutoring

At one end of the tutoring scale are the individual tutors who specialise in particular subjects, at times working through tutoring agencies. On the other end are coaching colleges offering tutoring in a variety of subjects.

Psychologist and former school teacher Jocelyn Brewer says finding the right fit for your child can take some trial and error: “Someone who did well in their Higher School Certificate might have some skills to offer in understanding the content, but not [in] how humans learn and how they think. Bigger colleges may have the benefit of more resources … and track records to sell to parents. However, I don’t see many of those places offering any kind of psychological peak performance training or talking about balance, wellbeing, self-care, or stress management.”

One-on-one tutoring

One-on-one instruction provided by a tutor works to assist students individually, says Dr Pearl Subban, lecturer at the . She says having the undivided attention of a tutor can help students target specific weaknesses and improve their results.

How much does tutoring cost?

The cost of one-on-one tutoring varies widely, but you can expect to pay between $30 and $100 per hour. 

Consider sharing the cost of private tutoring with another student close to your child’s level to save on costs.

Tutoring case studies

Although several people reported positive experiences with tutoring, the quality of tutors can be patchy and several sources told us that it’s important to check a tutor’s references before employing them.

One former tutor described her unfortunate experience: “I told my agency I had a bachelor degree in geography, and completed Year 12 English, French and history, and would be happy to tutor in those subjects at an appropriate level. What was I hired to teach, multiple times? Maths. I quit maths in year 10. All I could do was buy the textbooks and try to stay one week ahead of them.”

Coaching colleges

There’s a range of coaching colleges in Australia. Some of the larger colleges include , and . There are also colleges operating on a smaller scale, such as the Sydney-based and . And it seems you can almost never be too young to attend – believe it or not, some colleges take on students in preschool!

Format

Coaching colleges tend to have group classes, but sometimes offer individual tutoring with their teachers.

The Kumon tutoring method requires kids to complete about 30 minutes worth of worksheets every day of the week and attend twice-weekly study sessions at a Kumon centre, where students work independently but get feedback from teachers.

Other coaching colleges take different approaches depending on what you want to achieve. For example, North Shore Coaching College claims to incorporate regular testing into its selective schools program in order to prepare students for exam conditions and help improve techniques. Dux says that it helps students prepare for their HSC by structuring homework in the same way as HSC questions.

How much do coaching colleges cost?

Costs can vary widely depending on the number of sessions your child undertakes, their age and their subjects.

• Kumon’s initial fee is $70, then $120 per subject per month for all materials and twice-weekly classes.
• At Sydney’s Dux College, fees range from $500 per subject for two hours of coaching a week for one term of 10 weeks for Year 9 students to $870 per term for three hours of Extension 2 maths coaching for Year 12.
• At Matrix, Year 7 students pay $564.30 for weekly 90-minute lessons per nine-week term while those in Year 12 studying English pay $742.50 for the same.

Anecdotally, some of the larger coaching colleges may nudge parents towards more frequent classes and therefore charge more.

Coaching college case studies

Anna enrolled her 10-year-old daughter Lara in maths at Kumon earlier this year. “Kumon does seem to be improving her maths, she is definitely getting faster,” Anna says. “I haven’t had a report card or parent-teacher night yet so I don’t know for sure… I think it’s good for kids who need lots of practice rather than one-on-one time.”

Miranda took her son to a large coaching college, but he only attended two four-hour sessions before she called it quits. “It cost $64 for each four-hour session. Some kids stayed longer doing tests in the morning and then having an afternoon session and some kids were going twice a week. It was a shocker. The kids spent the first session sitting replica tests and the next session, a week later, the teacher went through the answers that most kids got wrong. My son hated it. He said it was like being in prison.”

Marketing of coaching colleges

Coaching colleges use a range of techniques to get new students on board. Success rates for scholarships, selective school acceptances and high marks are used in advertising material. Some coaching colleges will even offer scholarships to their best students to keep them committed.

One former student told this story: “When I was in year 6 all my friends were getting selective school coaching so my mum took me to a coaching college to try it out. Before they placed me in a class, I had to do an IQ test and I did really well. After they marked my test, the manager offered me a scholarship as long as I agreed to have my picture on the success wall if I got into a selective school.”

Linda (not her real name), a NSW selective-school teacher who is particularly scathing about the move towards coaching in recent years, told ÌÇÐÄVlog that colleges may prey on vulnerable parents and students.

“The colleges are profit-oriented, and they continually tell the students and their parents that they are not yet quite good enough to sit the exam, but if they did the additional Tuesday evening and Sunday afternoon (at an extra $300 or so per week) the kid might just manage to scrape in to a school with a more prestigious reputation. This endless mantra of ‘not quite good enough’, added to the stresses of the financial burden the parents are under, is really horrible and starts a chain of depression and anxiety that we see very commonly here. By the time they reach their HSC many kids are completely mentally unwell, and often relations with their parents are extremely fragile.”

Should you get tutoring for your kids?

Parents get tutoring for their children for a whole host of reasons. They may be falling behind in class, or they may want to secure a very competitive spot in a selective school or popular university course.

“The assistance of a tutor may ensure a higher grade in weaker subjects,” says Dr Subban. “Receiving individual, targeted assistance certainly pays dividends. The student has the undivided attention of an experienced, knowledgeable tutor, and could consequently process and absorb skills and content that are required for success. Skills are often reinforced and content knowledge consolidated.”

The experts we spoke with told us that, generally speaking, tutoring does get results, but it can have its downsides. “It may become unproductive in two cases,” says Dr Subban. “Firstly, an unhealthy dependence could act as a barrier to students thinking for themselves, problem-solving independently, and being able to make decisions about tackling a task without support. Secondly, it is important that tutors align their services with the school curriculum. It is counterproductive for students, who are already experiencing challenges, to learn unrelated or irrelevant content.”

Selective-school teacher Linda believes coaching has been bad for students and selective schools in general. “I would say that more than 99% of our students have been coached to get here,” she says. “The move towards coaching colleges has had a very obvious and negative effect.

“One problem is that the kids themselves believe they aren’t actually smart enough to be here, so they stay on the coaching treadmill to keep up. Also, because it is now such a lucrative business, several people have set up franchises and employ barely adequate teachers.”

She believes tutoring should not be a long-term commitment. “Tutoring should only be short and sharp – a brief period of remedial help if a child is struggling. The tutor should be an expert not only in that particular subject, but also in childhood psychology and teaching practice, and the idea should be to take advantage of the one-to-one situation to go at the child’s pace and build their confidence.”

Six tips for finding the right tutor

1. Check their qualifications.
2. Check their references.
3.  Find out about what successes they have had with past students.
4. Get several quotes to ensure their charges are reasonable.
5. If attempting to remediate a problem, ask the tutor to keep in touch with teachers and work alongside them to meet your child’s needs. 
6. Check up on your child’s progress; if their marks aren’t improving, consider whether you’ve found the right tutor.

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