Year-round school and varying start dates for schools that do stick to seasons make it hard to plan events and vacations and (for writers, anyway) articles about graduation and back-to-school. Join About.com parenting experts Terri Mauro (specialchildren.about.com), Catherine Holecko (familyfitness.about.com), Katherine Lee (childparenting.about.com), and Lisa Jo Rudy (autism.about.com) as we compare notes on when summer begins and ends and offer tips on how families can deal with the lack of consistency and predictability in this and other school breaks.

Filling out college applications, waiting for responses, and picking the right place is a marathon for high-schoolers -- and their parents, who may have different ideas of what constitutes a perfect fit. Join About.com experts Terri Mauro (specialchildren.about.com), Laureen Miles Brunelli (workathomemoms.about.com), Kathy Ceceri (homeschooling.about.com), and Amanda Morin (kidsactivities.about.com) as we share our own survival experiences and get advice from special guest Allen Grove, About.com's expert on college admissions (collegeapps.about.com).

You want your child to be independent, learn to make decisions, and develop life skills like dressing. But the result of all that "I can do it myself" is liable to be polkadots with plaids, shorts on snow days, and all manner of crimes against fashion. Join About.com experts Terri Mauro (specialchildren.about.com), Catherine Holecko (familyfitness.about.com), Katherine Lee (childparenting.about.com), and Amanda Morin (kidsactivities.about.com) as we discuss the challenge of getting kids to wear clothing that is appropriate to the weather or the occasion.  

Does spanking have any place in a parent's disciplinary toolbox? Should teachers ever be able to hit, restrain, or isolate kids for behavior purposes? And if not, what sort of behavior controls can be put in the place of these no-longer-acceptable practices? Join About.com parenting guides Terri Mauro (specialchildren.about.com), Catherine Holecko (familyfitness.about.com), Katherine Lee (childparenting.about.com), and Lisa Jo Rudy (autism.about.com) as we discuss corporal punishment at home and at school.