For many of us, back-to-school season brings big, and often conflicting, feelings. The benefit of a structured day, thanks to a consistent school schedule, provides undeniable benefits for parents.

During the many years when my five children were in elementary school, I prided myself — and exhausted myself — volunteering every week, in their classrooms and elsewhere in the building. If you were ...

It starts with a top-secret alert on our school’s messaging app: “Your child is receiving an award next week … please help us celebrate your child by joining us in the cafeteria. Keep it a secret.” My ...