Back-to-School Shopping Without Fear

I tried to do a little school shopping on Sunday. What a mistake that was. The office-supply store was packed to the rafters with parents stocking up on folders and papers and binders, oh my. Even the employees were afraid to go down the pencil aisle.

A lot to be said for online shopping, there is. Unfortunately, I know that my kids are going to come home from their first day of school next Wednesday with long lists of additional items they'll need immediately, and I'll be right back in the office-store fray, elbowing past pushy moms to grab the last folder with the pockets on the bottom.

As a little bit of respite from that push-and-shove, and in recognition that a lot of the things our special-needs kids require are not to be found in the aisles of Staples or Office Depot, I've created a little school-shopping mall of my own. It directs you to a variety of resources on shopping for items like student planners, pencil grips, fidget toys and seating, insulin-pump packs and allergy-warning outfits, educational software and lettered locks.

Go ahead, take a browse through. Nobody's going to run a cart over your toes.

Then, for more tips on making this school year super, check these articles from around this Parenting Special Needs site:

• Staying in Good School Spirits
• How Well Do You Know Your Child's School?
• 25 Ways to Make This the Best School Year Ever
• Prepare the School for Your Child With Special Needs

Have you done your school shopping? Has your child already been back to school for ages? Are you looking for something special you've been unable to find? Share your shopping secrets in the comments.

This post is my submission to the All About Parenting Blog Carnival.

Read more: Special Needs News | Site of the Day | Before You Go to the Mall With Your Child

_{Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images}