It's 7:29am, the school bus is pulling up in front of your house, and your child has one shoe on, can't find the other one, her homework is still on the kitchen counter, and the contents of her backpack may or may not actually be what she needs to bring to school that day. The morning routine is way off course.

You open the front door and wave the bus driver away...looks like another day of driving your kid to school, being late for work, and generally watching your morning collapse in chaos. Or is it?

What kids can do

How do chimneys work?

Expert Advice: Strangers and Safety During the Holidays

The holiday season is a joyful time of year, but it's also a time of year when you need to be extra-cautious when out and about with your child. Between frenzied trips to the mall for holiday shopping, crowded airports, and holiday parties, it can be hard to keep track of your little one in the crowds.

We raise our kids to make good choices, whether it's what to eat or wear, and their wise choice of friends. Then the teen years hit and, along with them, teen behavior. Some kids sail smoothly through these years, but sometimes they need a little guidance when it comes to choosing friends. Teens aren't mature enough to see what adults do. So what if you don't care for your teen's friend?

Dr. Jennifer Guttman, PsyD Clinical Psychologist has the following tips for parents:

Cat supplies

Shopping for Your Cat

If you shop before your new feline friend's homecoming, you'll be able to spend the first few days getting to know each other instead of running off to the pet supply store. Here's a basic list for your shopping trip:

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Step 2: Cutting Drywall

Epiphany

Twelfth Night (Epiphany): January 6

Traditionally, this is the day the Three Kings from the Orient came to Bethlehem bearing gifts for baby Jesus. It's called Twelfth Night because it's the twelfth night after Christ's birth.

Get some incense made from frankincense and myrrh. Check in religious shops, health food stores with larger herb departments, and herb specialty shops. Learn what frankincense and myrrh look and smell like. Find out where they come from and how they were used.

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Go to the Source

To see how caregivers are treating their charges, you can volunteer to go on field trips or help out occasionally. But for real day-to-day information, your child is probably your best source.

Tech-Corps Volunteers

What's a single guy, age 27, doing on a Saturday morning at Patrick Henry Elementary in Virginia? He's not a teacher, a coach, or a school employee. Shane Ahn, a strategic planning manager at Bell Atlantic, is a member of Tech Corps, an organization of professionals who offer their skills and expertise to help schools integrate technology in the teaching process

More strategies for safety

Modem highjacking victim

The frustrating truth is that AT&T's policy remains unchanged. All international long-distance calls made from a computer are billed as normal toll charges, and customers placing these types of calls are required to pay the charges. But as more complaints flooded its offices these past few months, AT&T did issue a customer alert about ''modem hijacking.'' They are now referring all inquiries and complaints to the Federal Trade Commission for investigation.

Spring is (finally!) here! Which means, more time at the playground, more time on the sports field...and, most likely, never-ending piles of your kid's muddy clothes. When your kids come home with muddy clothes, instead of cringing--or even considering just tossing them away--know this: their dirty items can be salvaged!

If you dread the holidays because crowded stores and bright lights spike your pulse, there is a solution. Just stay out of the stores. This holiday season, keep your sanity and stay in your flannel pajamas. We have five tips that will help you make it to 2020 without ever stepping foot in a brick and mortar shop. 

More: 25 of The Best Elf On the Shelf Ideas for Christmas 2019

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Isabel Shaw