Labor Day has passed and all the children have returned to school. Recently, I requested input from friends who are parents on a social media site to comment on what are their concerns are for back to school safety.  I was rather shocked that after a week and a half and one repost no one had commented regarding safety concerns for their children.  I wanted to capture real concerns from current parents instead of reciting statistics.  We all share or have friends how proudly share ...

Its back-to-school season, which means new shoes, apparel, gear and technology for kids -- and a gigantic Visa statement for parents. According to a recent report by Forbes, parents of kids in K-12 will spend an average of $873 per child, while college parents will spend more than $1,100 per child. Multiply this by a few kids -- and thats a lot of money! If youre looking for ways to save this back-to-school season, youve come to the right place. Here are 5: 1. Buy used books. If your ...

If you are sending your kids off to college this fall, you might be wondering about insurance. Specifically, insuring all that stuff you bought for your college-bound kid: computer, books, bikes and, in some cases, furniture. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that the average family will spend roughly $900/college student -- on back-to-school supplies alone. If your child is going to live in a dorm, add $126 to that number for furnishings, the NRF says. For a full breakdown of b...

As your kids walk, bike, ride or even wait in line at the bus stop, its important to make sure they know proper etiquette and safety rules. Heres a quick recap of basic pedestrian safety: If your child is walking to school: 1. They should only use designated crosswalks, such as at traffic lights or marked school crossing spots. 2. Watch cars -- not lights. A green light does not mean it’s safe to walk — it means you should look for cars first, and only then begin cro...

For a second year in a row, Ohio is offering a weekend-long sales tax holiday to help back-to-school shoppers reduce the cost of clothing and school supplies. Read on for the scoop on Ohios 2016 Tax Free Weekend. This years tax holiday is Aug. 5-7, beginning at 12 a.m. on the 5th and ending at 11:59 p.m. on the 7th. The tax exemption applies to clothing and footwear items that cost $75 or less and to supplies and instructional materials that cost $20 or less. Items priced higher than those ...

School buses are awesome. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these yellow vehicles: keep roughly 17.3 million cars off the roads each morning, are far less likely to be involved in accidents, and are easily the safest mode of transportation for your kids. Moreover, todays school buses are designed to be safer than ever, and drivers are expected to undergo rigorous training and education to get your kids safely to and from school. ...

Stop the press! We interrupt your normally scheduled insurance news feed with an important announcement: For a third year in a row, Ohio is offering a weekend-long sales tax holiday in August to help back-to-school shoppers reduce the cost of clothing and school supplies. Here’s the 411 on Ohio’s Tax Free Weekend: This year’s tax free weekend is August 4-6, beginning at 12 a.m. on Friday, August 4th and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 6th. ...