The previous was the last post for Kathy in this blog.

She and her family will be posting to a new blog, A Family View, where the kids get a say, too.

From the editor: For those who came to this page from the front page of the Globe, the answer to "Can you spot the world leader in this photo?" is:

Bottom row, third from the left, next to the teacher...

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.

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Even though I hate them, I just ordered a whole bunch of school pictures of my kids. Again.

One thing I love about university is that there is no longer a picture day. My two oldest will never again bring home that huge envelope with the small strip of pictures glued to the side.

I want to meet the kid whose parents buy the deluxe package. You know, that package which includes a 36 by 42, ten 5 by 7's, fifty 3 by 5's and 200 mini postage stamp sized pictures. That's got to be one photogenic kid.

I always tick off the cheapest box. The one that comes with only two teeny pictures, and a vow to torch the negatives.

Or maybe it's just my kids who suddenly forget how to smile like a normal person, and their hair gets all independent and decides to look too long and even a weird colour. Just for the their school photos, of course.

"Did you make that face on purpose?" I asked my son David last year.

Apparently it's a crime to look happy in public when you're in grade seven.

"What do you mean, on purpose?" said David, peering more closely at the strip of three sample shots. "That's my face. Do you want me to go to the retake?"

Ah, the 'retake.' Every mother's dream. But the reality is, I'm almost positive they won't do a reshoot for stuff like, "my kid just looks weird." Apparently it has to be something a little more concrete.

Like their eyes being closed in every single shot. Or half the kid's face is missing. And he actually, you know, has a whole face in the real world. Though they might demand proof of this since a retake is a pretty rare and special event.

So unless it's technically somehow the photographer's fault, I guess, they won't redo a photo session just because a mother insists that her kid is much better looking than that. And doesn't normally look like he's about to burst into tears. Really.

I have tons of great pictures of my kids from our summer vacations, Christmas, birthday parties, and all kinds of important events. But unless it's me taking the picture, somehow they never look as good as I know they can.

This might have something to do with the fact that as their mother, I can tell them stuff like, "Stop smiling like somebody's poking you in the back with a fork!"and "Are we going to have to stand here all day?

Because you know I will!"

I think school photographers should invite parents to attend the picture taking session. Then we could stand to the side and make helpful suggestions. You know, stuff like, "Are you trying to look like a weirdo? Smile at the man, for heaven's sake! Sit UP! Sit DOWN!"

Who else but a parent can say, "For god's sake, WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TRY TO LOOK HAPPY FOR TEN LOUSY SECONDS!"

My two youngest never comb their hair. But last year they decided to make their hair look 'fancy' for Picture Day, which meant wetting a comb and running it through their hair until it was completely slicked back.

They both ended up looking like farmers on market day from the 18th century.

I did try explaining to my sons that maybe it wasn't the look they should be going for. And how just once I'd like to get professional pictures that are nice enough to send to my sisters and grandparents.

But no, it's their body, their hair, their choice, blah, blah. This generation has become way too empowered.

My two little nerds got on the school bus that morning, so chirpy and confident in their handsome hair-dos they even said, "Good morning," in unison like two little Stepford children, to their startled looking school bus driver.

Even though I rarely like any of my kids' school pictures, I still always agonize over what to do when it comes time to order them, though.

It feels wrong not to get at least a couple of copies. It means having a record of what they looked like, each school year, when they sat down in front of a total stranger for ten seconds as he took their picture.

I always love the class pictures, though. The one where the teachers are standing with the kids. David and Michael will point to every single kid's face in the picture, explaining and sharing every single fact they know about that child.

"He sits three seats down from me on the bus. He's really nice. One time he said my bread looked funny at lunch time."

I can always tell which girl David has a crush on in his class, as it's always the one girl in the class picture whose name he somehow can't remember.

"Who is that, David?" I'll ask, forgetting for a second why he hasn't said anything about her yet. Then when his face suddenly turns beat red and he says, "Uh, I don't know who that is," I always remember. Oh yeah, that's the one he likes. Really likes.

And why can't these school photographers at least have a comb or brush at their sittings? Then he could hand it over to those kids who really need it. Come to think of it, maybe some spare clothing would help too.

That way, if a kid is wearing the kind of t-shirt that says "my mother forgot today was Picture Day," the photographer could say, "Hey, wanna borrow this?"

We all have those same Wal-mart Christmas pictures from every year with the same backgrounds, so what's wrong with all the kids having the same t-shirt on in their school photos?

Actually, forget back up clothes or offering them a comb or hair brush.

I think school photographers should bring some live models with them.

Some perfect looking kid who can sit in for the rest of our children.

A couple of years ago, halfway through Grade 12, my two oldest switched high schools. Thanks to a family move which took us out of their former high school area, they went from a school with less than 800 students to one with over 1,800.

Although it was a bit of a culture shock, within a few days at the new school, they quickly adapted and adjusted. They both learned which hallways and staircases to avoid, which washrooms were safe, and which cafeteria tables they should sit at. And which one's they shouldn't.

But sometimes, as some students in a Burlington high school learned last month, there is no way to avoid a confrontation or being targeted at school. It doesn't matter which hallway or staircase you take, or which cafeteria table you sit at. Sometimes you can find yourself in a situation that is completely beyond your control.

It's every parent's nightmare.

Last month, five Burlington teenagers, on their first day of Grade 9, were subjected to a hazing ritual known as "getting gummered." They were on their way home from school when two cars pulled up, filled with Grade 11 and 12 students. After ordering the Grade 9s into an isolated area, the older students beat them with wooden paddles. And then, using markers, they drew nines on their faces.

The article from the Globe and Mail reports that the Grade 9 students weren't hospitalized, but that they were beaten hard enough to produce bruises. Two of the older students were in police custody the next day, facing charges of assault with a weapon.

In the article, a Grade 11 student who attends the school said that it happens every year. He also claimed it's "not a big deal" to the student body.

Hmmm. Maybe not a big deal to those students whom, like him apparently, have never been the target of one of those bullying scenarios at public school. But perhaps a bigger deal to those Grade 9 students who were forced, against their will, to participate in a degrading and physically painful 'ritual.'

My two oldest are now in their second year of university. Last September, when they were starting their first year, I was concerned about the possibility of hazing. But since I associate university hazing mainly with sports teams and out-of-control drinking games, I assumed it was something that could mostly be avoided.

In other words, I considered it within my kids' control whether or not to participate.

But those Grade 9 students were just walking home from school. They certainly didn't choose to participate in what happened next. They had no control.

I've been thinking about those Grade 9 kids lately, wondering if they - and their parents - can ever feel that high school is a safe place again after what happened to them. Something like this can ruin an entire school year.

How do we prevent something like this from occurring again in the future? Is it even realistic to hope that we can?

By coming forward and involving the police, those Grade 9 students and their parents have already taken the first step. They refused to pretend or to go along with the idea that what happened to them is just part of some 'harmless school tradition.' Or rite of passage.

For those who might try to kid themselves by thinking that what happened to those students in Burlington last month was a rare event, unlikely to happen again, don't. It already has.

A story from the CBC reports 25 students were suspended from a high school in Manitoba last month. Another story reports 17 students in Edmonton expelled for hazing some younger students in Grade 10. I'm sure there will be more.

Is hazing now spreading from the university environment to high school? Or was it there all along and we're just now seeing more students coming forward to report on their attackers?

Although only a small percentage of those who get involved in these kinds of attacks ever get charged, fortunately, this might soon change.

"This is something that can't be tolerated," said Detective Jeff Hill of Halton Regional Police to the Globe and Mail in an earlier interview.

"We have to send a message. Parents want to know that their kids are safe."

Officers investigating the Burlington case made it clear that they will treat future incidents harshly: "Hazing is socially unacceptable," Det. Hill said. "Criminal charges are the right response. Students need to feel secure."

I can't help but wonder and worry about those victims who don't come forward. Those kids who keep silent about the abuse and humiliation they felt at the hands of their fellow (and usually older) students. They need to feel secure, too.

All of our kids do.

I wasn't overly concerned when I learned that my youngest son was going to be in a split grade this year. My two oldest had a split class for Grades 7 and 8, and based on their experience, I figure split grades aren't necessarily a bad thing.

Or are they?

According to the People for Education's "Annual Report on Ontario's School 2008," the jury is still out on whether split grades actually help or hurt students. The report says studies revealed mixed results when considering the impact of split classes on student achievement. Out of 38 studies, 28 showed no impact either way. Four showed a positive effect, and six revealed that students did better in single-grade classes.

So why even bother with split grades? They seem to be just part of a numbers game.

Thanks to government caps on class size, split grades have increased significantly in recent years. In 2008, 74% of schools across Ontario reported split grades in elementary schools and of those schools, an average of 36% of their classes had two or more grades in them.

The good news is, according to this YorkRegion.com article, the Ministry of Education lists several important benefits of combined grades, including "improved social development, leadership, self-motivation and decision making skills."

An article in the September issue of Today's Parent magazine supports some of the Ministry of Education's claims. Joel Gajadharsingh, professor emeritus of education at the University of Saskatchewan, told the magazine students in split grades not only do just as well academically, they might even do better. The repetition and exposure to another grade can help make them more respectful and collaborative, even if they're in the older part of the split.

"They're not simply left alone," he says. "They have assignments to do and it's these things that teach them independence and dependability to do their work. They also learn to collaborate in this kind of environment, where they either give help or seek help."

Wow. Aren't those skills we'd like to see developed in all of our children?

Heck, maybe all students should be in split grades?

Uh, no.

Fortunately for my children, they've only had positive experiences with their split grades. In all three cases, their teachers seemed able to keep up with the extra demands of a split class, and my kids enjoyed being with mixed age groups.

But this isn't always the case.

In the same article of Today's Parent magazine, one parent said mixed ages can sometimes leading to bullying, after her son was targeted and picked on by some of the older students in his split class.

Parents with concerns about split classes aren't alone. Although lots of students probably do okay - maybe even great -  in split classes, the bottom line is that many educators, including both public and Catholic teachers' unions, have expressed serious concerns.

In its Policy and Position Statements, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario says combined grades should never be used in Grades 3 to 8. Or in a rotary system. And teachers and students shouldn't be in split classes in consecutive years. Plus combined grades should only be used for those students who are independent learners.

Or if Jupiter is aligned with Mars.

The YorkRegion.com article notes the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has said split grades are nearly impossible to handle under an inflexible curriculum with a "staggering" number of expectations.

According to the People for Education's Annual Report on Ontario's Public Schools, many teachers also have serious concerns about split classes.

Some worry it can lower the quality of instruction in the classroom.

"The demands of the Ontario curriculum are intense. A move to differentiated instruction, which requires teachers to adjust their methods and content to match the different capacities of a wide range of students, combined with having to teach students in two or more grades may reduce the quality of the instruction."

As a parent, I'm also concerned by the report's claim that teachers in split classes are "less happy on the job" compared to those teachers in a single-age classroom, thanks to a heavier teaching load and increased demands for classroom management.

I like the idea of my children being exposed to different age groups. Diversity is always a good thing, right?

But more importantly, I want my children to have the happy and satisfied teacher. Not the overworked (and possibly resentful) one.

Editor: You may also be interested in a discussion paper on combined grades by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.

When it comes to future university applications, good grades and extracurricular activities might not be the only filters.

According to Torben Drewes, an economist at Trent University, universities might have to start thinking of men as a 'disadvantaged group' when it comes to post-secondary education.

Meaning a third filter: gender.

The university gender gap is growing. The Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada reports that in 2006, 56 per cent of Canadian undergraduates were women. Compare this number to the early 1970s, when more than two-thirds of university graduates in their mid-20s were men.

So why are men now so heavily outnumbered on campus? In a study released earlier this week, "The University Gender Gap: The Role of High School Grades," Drewes suggests a simple answer: girls study more than boys. They get better high-school marks, which in turn gets them into university.

Makes sense, right? If you study hard, the payoff includes higher marks and entry into university. But who needs a study to tell us that?

Interestingly, according to the study, the fact that girls study more accounts for just under half of the difference between male and female grades. Maybe the answer isn't so simple after all.

The other half, Drewes explains, is due to girls' "greater efficiency in converting a given amount of study time into a grade." Meaning, girls don't just study more. They also study better.

So what, if anything, should universities be doing about this? Should they lower admission criteria for male applicants? Is it even a university's responsibility to maintain a gender balance?

Effort isn't the only factor. So how are girls studying 'better'? In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Drewes said something in the high school system "rewards girls more than boys." However, that doesn't mean he's in favour of creating lower university entry standards for males. "That seems wrong."

I have five children, one girl and four boys. Interestingly, Jenny, my oldest, has always had the highest marks among my five kids. Of course, her three youngest brothers are only 4, 11, and 13. But even comparing how she did at their ages and grades, her marks were always higher.

Why?

I always assumed it's because Jenny has an incredible work ethic. She's a well-organized student who makes school and homework a priority. During her years in public school, unlike her younger brothers, I never had to remind her to do her homework, or lecture her about studying harder.

I've never considered her gender as a possible factor in her academic success.

The study concluded that the difference between male and female grades can be explained by girls not only studying more, but also studying more efficiently than boys. Makes sense to me.

Sounds like our girls can teach the boys a thing or two.

September means I have to pack school lunches, wake up five little zombies each morning, and make sure everybody is out the door on time.

It might not be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but I admit, there are some definite reasons to embrace back-to-school. Here are my top five:

# 5: No more having to hear, "Mom, I'm bored."

Bored? In the middle of summer vacation? Awww, poor you. Let me list every form of entertainment that I can think of:

How about cutting the grass?

Washing the kitchen floor?

Maybe cleaning the bathroom?

My two oldest learned years ago that announcing they're 'bored' in the middle of the summer isn't a smart thing to share with me. My three youngest are finally learning that I consider it a full-blown battle cry to give them more chores to do.

# 4: Every single one of my kids are now in school.

My oldest is 19, into her second year of university, and my youngest is four. Thanks to that age spread, there's always been at least one kid at home, too young to start school. But this September, with Sam starting kindergarten, every single one of my five children are attending school. At the same time. Unbelievable.

# 3: The silence. The beautiful sound of complete and utter silence.

I do a lot of my work from home. This means I've spent years trying to edit and produce short radio docs in my home office. But just try sounding professional on the phone with a "Wipe my bum, please!" being shouted by your two- or three-year-old in the background.

There's only one person in the house. Me.

# 2: My four-year-old has finally stopped asking me the same question, over and over again.

For the entire summer vacation, every couple of days, my four-year-old has eagerly asked me the same question. Again. And again. And again.

"When do I start school?"

Soon, Sam, soon.

"How soon?"

Uh, in a couple more weeks.

"How many sleeps?"

In 14 more sleeps, Sam.

"Is that soon?"

Yup, that's pretty soon.

"How soon?"

Go ask your father.

# 1: My 13-year-old will finally stop asking me the same question, over and over again.

For the entire summer vacation, every couple of weeks, my 13-year-old has asked the same question as his younger brother. Except David wasn't looking for the same answer.

When he asked me the night before the first day of school, "How soon do we start school?" I said, "Really soon. Tomorrow."

Sam was the only one pumping his fist in the air.

Come September, I have to get five kids out the door, and on time for class. There are three different schools involved, and five different ages and grades.

Despite what that commercial claims, back-to-school isn't the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. At least, not in my household. Here's my top five reasons why:

#5: School lunches

Every Sunday I have to face the School Lunch Assembly Line. Sure, throwing together a sandwich, granola bar, and some fruit or a pudding cup isn't a big deal.

Doing it five times in a row is.

Another problem: there isn't just one prototype lunch for the Assembly Line. One of my kids loves Nutella. Another hates it. Most schools have a ban on peanut butter, and every single one of my kids love it. My 11-year-old likes a baggie of chopped-up carrots for his school snack.

My 13-year-old thinks that's disgusting.

When I pack lunches for my three youngest, everything goes into a lunch bag. But according to my 13-year-old, nobody in grade eight actually uses a lunch bag to carry their lunch. Apparently a plastic grocery bag is acceptable. But all squished up at the bottom of a book bag is even better.

#4: Waking everyone up in the morning

Every summer, my family makes an annual trip to Marine Land. When I wake my kids up the morning of the trip, they're all fully dressed and standing at the door within 3.4 seconds.

Waking them up for school is a completely different story.

Ten minutes after waking everyone up, I'll find a kid staring blankly at the bathroom mirror, half-comatose. In their brain-dead state, eating a bowl of cereal takes twice as long as it should. Sometimes I'll catch one of my kids lapsing back into sleep. With their eyes still open.

I chant the same mantra every morning: "Get dressed, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, pack your bags, HURRY UP THE BUS IS COMING." Really, I should make a tape and just hit "PLAY" every morning.

#3: School outfits

During summer vacation, it doesn't matter what my kids wear. Mis-matched or missing socks, ripped t-shirts, and jeans with a torn knee are fine for their around-the-house wardrobe. Or going to the park with friends.

But once they go back to school, those torn-up sweat pants aren't acceptable. I don't want to send their teachers an "I'm neglected and unloved by my parents" kind of message.

Which adds an extra stage to the Morning Routine: the "Could you put on something a little less unloved-looking" stage.

#2: Wardrobe malfunctions

My two university-aged children go out of their way to try and buy shoes that are unique-looking, and that nobody else is wearing. My elementary school-aged children, on the other hand, try and pick shoes that everybody else is wearing. Unfortunately, there are only three shoe prototypes for all kids between kindergarten and grade six.

It's a recipe for mix-ups.

All of my kids start the school year with new shoes. And inevitably, one of the younger ones come home with a smaller-sized version of their shoes. Then I have to convince them that no, their feet did not grow a size within that day at school.

And another mother, somewhere else, has to convince her kid that their feet didn't shrink a size.

#1: Homework

The only thing worse than helping my eighth-grade son with his French homework? Helping my sixth-grade son with his math homework.

"10 divided by five. Explain."

"12 times seven. Show your work."

"Eight, five, eleven, six, ten. What's the pattern?"

Even worse: it's late Sunday, right before bedtime, when one of my kids suddenly approaches me.

"Uh, tomorrow is Science Fair. I'm not quite finished my project yet, and I might need a little help."

Which actually means they haven't even started their project yet. And I need to help them produce a volcano, some moldy bread, or a home-made battery in the next four hours.

(Editor: Worried about you kids wearing their "I'm unloved" clothes? Get some tips on cool clothes for back-to-school.)

It's a special kind of book.

Sometimes you dread reading it. Sometimes it's downright boring. Once you're finished reading it, you may hope you never have to read it again.

And it's probably the most expensive kind of book you'll ever have to buy.

Yes, I'm talking about university textbooks, of course.

When my two oldest started at the University of Waterloo last September, the tuition was bad enough. But between part-time jobs, scholarships, and student loans, it was pretty much covered.

But then there were the textbooks.

The textbooks, lab manuals, course readings and tutorial manuals cost well over $700 a semester at the school's bookstore.

I wasn't too surprised. Heck, when I was a student, the textbook situation was even worse. My two oldest said that a few of their professors claimed they can only list one required textbook (in addition to readings and course manuals) for a class. Most of my classes, on the other hand, had multiple textbooks. It was always frustrating to spend hundreds of dollars on five books for one course. And then use only one of them for the entire year.

But my daughter discovered that a couple of her textbooks are $20 cheaper on Amazon.ca. And since shipping is free for orders $39 or more, she didn't have to pay anything extra for shipping and handling.

My son's history class requires a 'clicker,' a sort of remote that students can use to answer multiple-choice questions during a lecture.

The problem: It costs $42 at the University of Waterloo's bookstore.

It's $32 at Amazon.ca. But that's when it's in stock.

The solution: eBay. My son found a second-hand clicker for less than half the bookstore's price. Thanks to the Internet, this generation of university students have a lot of options when it comes to trying to save money on their course textbooks.

And for students at the University of Waterloo, there's UW-ACE, a Web-based course management system that allows instructors and students to interact with each other. During the school year, its main purpose is for students to access homework assignments, tests and course notes. But it also provides a great network for students to buy and sell used textbooks.

My daughter recently sold three of her old textbooks to AbeBooks Canada, an online marketplace for books that is a subsidiary of Amazon.com. In addition to buying textbooks, Abebooks also sells used, new, rare, and out-of-print books, and even provides you with a prepaid and trackable shipping label when you sell your used textbooks.

Several readers of this blog have given their own suggestions. Matt recommends finding international editions of textbooks. "They've got the exact same content as the regular $175 books, except they're printed on thinner paper and have a soft cover. Oh, and they also cost about $20-$50 on eBay instead of $150-$175 at the bookstore."

Cheap as they may be, Tyler warns there's a "certain amount of risk" involved with buying international editions of textbooks. "I've bought three in the past couple years, and two were perfectly legible. The third, however, was printed on extremely absorbent paper, and the print quality of most of the diagrams and figures was too low to be discernible. " Also, be aware of potential copyright and trademark violations, AbeBooks warns.

Jeff suggests borrowing textbooks from friends in different years, or checking Facebook for second-hand copies. "Borrowing books, or even renting them is always better than buying, unless the book is worth holding onto."

Tim Jacobs points out that newer editions of textbooks might not necessarily be worth the extra cost. Turning to older (and therefore cheaper) editions can save money. "The material is largely the same, but the cover and, perhaps, a few of the graphics will have changed - certainly not a substantive difference in editions."

Of course, as soon as you stray from the campus bookstore and turn to sources like eBay or Facebook, there's a certain amount of risk involved. Especially when purchasing older editions. Buyer beware: although the changes from one edition to the next might not be huge, sometimes important information is updated or completely changed. The newer editions sometimes correct mistakes from the older editions. An important diagram might be fixed, or an entire section will be updated with new information. So, although buying an older textbook will save you money, it might cost you in marks. Make sure you know what you're getting. Or not getting.

University textbooks cost hundreds of dollars every semester. But thankfully, for this generation of students, there are lots of other options. Between Amazon.ca, eBay, and buying textbooks secondhand from other students, your campus bookstore might be the last place you should look.

(Editor: Also read about how school supplies last longer in university and Beer or food? A savvy student can have both.)

In less than a month, my two oldest are starting their second year at the University of Waterloo. But unlike my three youngest, who are still in public school, their professors didn't provide a list of important school supplies. I don't have to buy them a new pack of pencil crayons, a geometry set, or some markers.

Uh, come to think of it, I don't have to buy them anything. Now they buy their own school supplies.

The whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children. I don't have to buy them indoor and outdoor shoes. I also don't have to write their names on the back of their jackets, or inside their lunch bags.

I don't have to replace their ratty book bags every year. For one thing, they don't use book bags anymore. Apparently, book bags are only for public school and first-year university students. Any self-respecting university student quickly learns to use a messenger bag. According to my son, "It's more compact. You can stuff it under your seat during a lecture, and it doesn't get in the way on the bus."

Every year someone needs a book bag replaced. There's a hole in the bottom, one of the straps are ripped, or the zipper is stuck. Or the zipper has disappeared entirely. Lunch bags rarely last more than a year, either.

But for some reason, school supplies have a longer life span on a university campus. My two oldest are using the same messenger bags they did last year. All the zippers and straps are intact. They're using the same pencil cases and calculators, and their lunch bags haven't gone AWOL.

The most expensive part of back-to-school shopping for my three youngest isn't the binders, duotangs, notebooks or pencils. It's the clothing.

Every year they go through the August Growth Spurt. Overnight, their t-shirts, jeans and pants stop fitting. Their shoes (indoor and outdoor) are a couple sizes too small. Not to mention there's often a gap, or at least a flap, where the big toe rests.

None of that is a problem for my two oldest. They don't grow four and a half inches over the summer anymore, outgrowing their entire wardrobe.

Come August, their jeans and t-shirts still fit. Their shoes are also usually in good shape as well.

Of course, there are certain expenses that are unique to university.

Those math and science textbooks that were handed out for free in high school? Suddenly they cost hundreds of dollars. And for students in the sciences, back-to-school shopping often includes goggles and lab coats.

And unlike those lists mailed or handed out in public school, the list from university is more of a 'suggestion' of supplies you might want to consider having for each course. In fact, some text books are even indicated as being optional. My two oldest research the necessity of each item before they actually purchase it. They find out which books will be used during the course and which are 'nice to have.' They don't spend their hard earned cash on the nice to have books. Ever.

Even if I were in charge of buying the back-to-school supplies for my two oldest, which fortunately I'm not, I don't even know what the heck some of the items on the list are.

Like 'clickers.'

I overheard my daughter saying she'll have to buy a 'clicker' from the school bookstore before they run out. The only 'clicker' I was aware of is the one we used a few years ago, to train our dog to stop barking at everyone who came to our front door.

Assuming they aren't just messing with me, my two oldest assured me that the clicker they need won't be teaching them about not barking at strangers. Apparently it'll somehow be used for multiple choice quizzes given during a lecture.

Sometimes my two oldest need help paying for some of the more expensive items on their back-to-school lists, and we're happy to help them. Of course, just because my two oldest claim something on their list is absolutely essential, doesn't mean they'll necessarily get it.

No matter how much they insist they really need a car for second year.