There have been many articles and parenting tips "out there" recently helping parents to prepare their children for the start of school. As I read through them I find that they give great tips for kids, but none of them have specifically dealt with parents' needs for gearing up once again for another school year.

Yesterday we celebrated my youngest son's second birthday. Was it a lot of work preparing for it? Yes. Was it worth every minute of it? Definitely. But this was not how I always felt after one of my children's birthday parties.

As parents we develop family rules that we want our children to abide by. We think they are reasonable and put in place in the best interest of our children, whether it is for their well-being, health or safety. It amazes me though, that even though this sounds so cut and dried, how hard it is to stick to your guns and enforce THE RULES.