#Sponsored article from NCI International whereby we were compensated for this review and given a product sample for the purpose of reviewing the Super Wubble. Affiliate links are utilized in this article. All opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

So now that we’re a week past the Labor Day holiday, we’re in the swing of this right? Well, mostly. Personally, I JUST finished all the Back-To-School forms and paperwork due on the first day. And we missed the deadline for buying lunch this month. Oh well, but with immunization charts up to date and sharpened crayons who can complain?

The first week back is always pretty much the same: couple of worksheets, cover the books, the ridiculous parent forms, box tops from the summer and half eaten lunches because the kids are too busy talking the entire lunch period. All good. Then the second week comes and it gets serious quick. As worksheets become workbooks and calendars fill with project dates, conferences, practices, games, meeting times, fundraisers and everything else we get flooded with in a 14 day time period, we need to work towards keeping grounded. Especially as our children grow into older grades and their responsibilities are greater, we need to be mindful of our household stress barometer. Surely some stress is good and sometimes we all need a swift kick in the rear to get over a hurdle, but everyday life should not hold this pressure. Setting the environment and the expectations is important for a healthy and successful academic year.

Here are just a few tips to keep in mind, now that the school year is back in full swing:

1. Set a place for notices, signatures and forms. Keeping these items handy for reference and being able to quickly sign and return forms will elevate some burden and proactively keep the family on top of events and deadlines.
2. Keep a family calendar. Ensuring everyone is on the same page will allow for better communication among family members. Perhaps if one child has an upcoming game, a sibling will be willing to cover his/her chore with the idea that later the favor is returned. Mutual respect, cooperation and collaboration are wonderful things to build into your household culture.
3. Respect independence and independent needs. Each child will likely have very different needs when it comes to schooling, friendships, activities and home life. Knowing and respecting these differences will enable your household to run more smoothly and the respect reciprocated in terms of additional assistance, open communication and less resistance (we all know that preteens are prone to resistance).
4. Lastly, keep your sense of humor. The power of laughter is hugely underestimated. Take time to listen to the funny things that happen in your child’s day. Make time to be light-hearted or silly with your children. Between running back and forth to practices and activities, homework and pet responsibilities… at the very least find a few minutes to truly relate to your children, whether it is through their favorite songs or some other means of being a kid again.

This article was sponsored by NSI International on behalf of the Wubble Bubble Ball. While compensated for this article, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own. The Super Wubble Xpandium Bubble Ball provides one of the easiest and silliest ways to have fun with kids and let some stress go. The Super Xpandium Wubble is made of “super-thermo-stretchtacular stuff” to be quite technical but is food safe and medically safe, not that you would eat off of it or use it in the case of an emergency. It comes with a battery operated pump and blows up to 36 inches.

What we love about Wubble: Unique and light-weight, this bubble ball is fun to bounce around the yard and toss to other players. Just a fun way to romp around the yard. It is easy to catch, throw, kick or bounce. Love the translucent material, kinda neat that you can see through it.

What we don’t necessarily love: It is marketed for indoor and outdoor play, but I’m not so comfortable with indoor play because the ball is so light-weight and a little unpredictable I fear something getting knocked over. And it entices some rough play… not great for my family heirlooms and decor. Take that play outside, please. Also, we had difficulty blowing it up with the enclosed battery-operated pump. Their website indicated that when this happens, the batteries may need to be changed… this is VERY likely our problem as we are super low on batteries and had to steal the remote control ones for this review. Sooooo I’m not surprised if the juice was a little low on those puppies. In any event, I had a manual foot pump (as part of an exercise kit) and it worked with no problem.

In any event, something like the Super Expandium Wubble Bubble Ball, could certainly add an element of fun and silliness to otherwise stress-induced time of year. And while keeping organized and informed is important, so is the concept of letting go. Cheers to a successful and happy return to school.