Sometimes we get so caught up in the fervor of backpacks, supplies and clothes, that we miss a few important things. Here are three things parents need to attend to as the kids head back to school:

Medications — allergy and otherwise

If you child has started a new or different medication, supervise them carefully. Be on the lookout for side effects that can easily affect mood and schoolwork. My son took Zyrtec for years without a problem, and then one year it made him drowsy. The same thing is true of inhalers and other allergy meds. So many medications exist — don’t be afraid to ask your doc for an alternative if your child exhibits uncharacteristic problems with one med.

Grooming routine

There is nothing optional here. I blogged about tots who refuse to brush their teeth, a dangerous habit to start. Here’s a link to ideas to make oral hygiene a little more palatable. And don’t panic. Kids go through phases with grooming. Little ones may often be too busy playing to get into the hygiene habit. You’ll have to help, bribe and demand it. Before you know it, your child will be older and primping for hours.

The key at every age is to find what works for your kids and get them in the habit of doing it on their own.

Get kids into daily routine

As your children age, they will have more responsibilities to handle — let them.  After preschool, I never picked out school outfits, and the kids eventually packed their own backpacks and lunches which led to packing sports bags and everything else. Every week or month, encourage your kids to be a little more independent and make it fun. Kids can get their own breakfasts if you make it easy. Congratulate them and tell them how proud you are of them. They can pack lunches, dress themselves and certainly take care of putting their own schoolwork in their bags. Encourage it. Yes, they will forget things, but that’s part of the learning process.  Forgotten permission slips and shoes were a given at our house, but kids need to accept the responsibilities for additional activities. We all learn from our mistakes.

Pam Parker is the mom of three and stepmom of three. She is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa.

Blame it on the full moon, time change or allergies — it’s headache season. I have one and kids get them too. Funky cures I read about in First for Women magazine suggest going barefoot and lying down in the grass outside — a recommendation from Laura Koniver. M.D., of Charleston, S.C. She is even on Pinterest!

Another one from Vincent M. Pedre III, M.D., of New York City, suggests rubbing peppermint oil on acupressure points.

A final one from Kenneth J. Sebastianelli, M.D., of Taylor, Pa., employs visualization — deep breathing — inhaling in the good, and exhaling out the bad.

I often use caffeine with a mix of aspirin, but that’s not for kids. And allergies usually need more than nature can handle (but I have had success with saline nasal sprays!). A lot of natural cures are out there and some are worth a try. The three listed here aren’t going to hurt you, although I can’t lie down in the grass, because it would make me sneeze and itch. Bottom line: don’t mess around self-diagnosing and self-medicating with anything that you you are unfamiliar with. If you already have allergies, you need to talk to a professional first. Some herbs, oils and natural cures can be in the same family of allergens that trigger reactions.

If you or your child have severe pain or recurring headaches, it can be a sign of other problems. Docs are the professionals. Get professional advice and cures.