Earlier this week I shared a few tips on how to approach a partnership with your child’s teacher.

It’s important we work together to support and guide the development and learning of our little ones. Children need consistent messages from their parents and teachers and this takes a relationship of mutual respect and two-way, open communication between home and school.

Ensuring your child’s success in school requires time and attention, yet one of the simplest ways to guarantee success is often overlooked – building the parent-teacher bond.

The new school year is a perfect time for parents to lay the right foundation for a successful partnership with their child’s new teacher. Over the next few weeks I’ll share with you tips on building a trusting relationship with your child’s teacher to help start the new school year right!

The Fourth of July is a popular time for picnics, barbecues and of course, fireworks displays. Each of these family celebrations demonstrates a national spirit of patriotism and citizenship. When we include our little ones in these festivities they learn that the Fourth is a special day, but they don’t yet understand the significance of the holiday. They’re not quite able to readily connect fireworks with our forefathers in a meaningful way. The following activities are ones that will help them begin to understand why Independence Day is an important celebration for our country.

Start by explaining that the Fourth of July is a birthday party for our country. It’s always helpful to introduce an unfamiliar concept by relating it to something very familiar. Children know all about birthday parties, and they’re likely to be very impressed to hear that the United States is 234 years old! You may even make the case that fireworks are a special kind of birthday candle. Just be sure that if you light any “birthday candles” for your family that you practice fireworks safety.

Parents seeking child care want to find a safe, nurturing environment where their little ones will be happy and learning.  This kind of high-quality child care is greatly in demand, and parents often find that the school or center they believe will be best for their child doesn’t have space. Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger provides an inside peek into the process of child care wait lists.