Going back to school is hard for students as well as parents. We see a lot of back to school shopping articles and advice for students but how often do we notice help for the parents? It’s sometimes thought that parents should just know what to do to help their kids, but this isn’t always the case.

Pre-teens sometimes called “Tweens” can be a difficult age and back to school time just adds to the stress and the pressures. If you’re the parent of a student this age who is going back to school, it can benefit you to get properly prepared so that you are capable of helping him at the start and throughout the entire school year.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Your tween may be starting to worry about what peers think for the first time. This creates added peer pressure that can stress the child.

2. Many students begin changing or rotating classes at this age. Discuss this with your child and prepare before the school year starts.

3. Back to school time can be stressful as your child adjusts to a new schedule. He may need more sleep at night for the first few weeks as he transitions.

4. Tweens are going through many hormonal changes at this age which can cause moodiness, forgetfulness, and irritability. Address this with your pediatrician if you are concerned about what is normal and what to do about it.

5. Even if your tween acts embarrassed or wants to be independent of you in public, he still needs your praise and support at home. In fact, kids at this age most often need more support and praise from their parents than younger children, but they often lack it as the parents think they are too old for these affections.

6. Discuss your expectations upfront before going back to school. Talk openly about potential problems such as bullying, drugs and alcohol, peer pressure and more and be sure to tell your child how you feel about such issues and what you expect of him before these situations even occur.

With these back to school shopping suggestions for parents of tweens, you can help your pre-teen child prepare for school, start school with the confidence needed to succeed and plan for the future so that he becomes more independent and capable of doing well in school with less parental guidance. Identify that your job as a parent isn’t to do it for them or just to make them do it, but to guide them through the correct path so that they can make healthy decisions for themselves, even when you’re not around.

Shop for the fall without emptying your wallet. As much as the kids may dread it, most exhausted parents are relieved to finally shuffle the little ones back to school each fall and get them out from underfoot. That peace come at a steep price though, thanks to back to school shopping. From supplies to the obligatory new clothes and shoes, you’re certain that your bank account is in for a major hit. But with these surefire strategies, you’ll save cash while you outfit your little learners with everything they’ll need in the classroom.

Reuse and repurpose.

First thing’s first: Take a trip around the house and inventory what you already have. Why buy more pens and pencils when you’ve got plenty of workable writing utensils in your office drawer? Ditto for folders, and notebooks. Can you slap a few patches onto last year’s backpacks and give them another go? What clothes and shoes have your oldest outgrown that might work for her little sis this year? Make a master list of everything you need and let it govern your school shopping activities to keep yourself from piling tons of expensive extras into your shopping cart.

Save on supplies.

When you have to buy new, hit up your local dollar stores for low-cost supplies. Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart are also good choices for cheap stuff. Or order online and comparison shopping websites to stretch your dollars and make sure you are getting the best prices. Finally, remember to search out the generic and store-brand supplies, so you’re not paying for labels. The scissors will still cut, and the glue will still stick, won’t it?

Hit the racks.

It would be magnificent if you could afford to give each of your kids the seemingly endless clothing allowance of one of those “tween” starlets but tell them to dream on. Your little style mavens will have to settle for the rack. And we’re talking way off the rack. Hit up the clearance bins for deals on back-to-school clothes. With creative layering and chic accessories, you can buy off-season wares at a major discount, and your kids will still be styling.