My third grader knows the rules of conduct in school regarding bullying language and behavior: treat others with respect and kindness, the way you would like to be treated. Most schools try to instill similar teachings at schools, but a recent news story begs the question: What if the teacher is the bully?

A North Carolina middle school teacher reportedly wrote the word "loser" on a student's work, and has engaged in other bullying behavior. According to the mother of the 11-year-old girl who received the graded assignment, the teacher first wrote the word on her daughter's work back in November. When the mother complained, it stopped. Then a few weeks ago, another assignment came home with the word "loser" written on it again and underlined twice. This time, the mom called the assistant superintendent and met with the principal and the teacher. The teacher apologized and explained (I think rather lamely) that this was his way of joking with his students. The mom has called the teacher's behavior unacceptable and has had her daughter removed from his class.

In my opinion, a joke is only funny if the other person's laughing. In this case, the young girl was reportedly upset by the teacher's behavior. I'm all for teachers building good relationships with their students, but is calling a child a loser really the best that an educator can do? And if the person you're "joking with" is upset by your words and actions, then you're doing something wrong. A third grader -- heck, a preschooler for that matter -- would know something like that.

Sunday is Daylight Savings Time, which means we all get an hour less of sleep. I don't know about you, but as a busy parent who doesn't get nearly enough shut-eye, I'm very likely to feel the effects of this time change for a while, just as I do every year. I'm already dreading getting myself and my son out of bed on Monday to get ready for school.

To offset the effects of the time change, I'm going to rely on some good bedtime habits to make sure we get to bed a bit earlier than usual. And we're certainly going to count on some time-saving morning routines to help us get out the door in time.

What are some strategies you and your family turn to in order to get acclimated to the time change? Do you feel the effects of the time change, or is it a non-issue in your household?

Have you ever looked up on a Sunday afternoon and wondered where the weekend went? Between running errands and shuttling kids to and from activities and birthday parties, many parents I know say they rarely get a chance to enjoy family weekend time with their kids.

As we head into warmer weather and the winding down of the school year, try a few smart, easy strategies to make over your family weekends, such as consolidating errands and tucking chore touch-ups here and there into weekdays. With a little streamlining and planning ahead, you'll be able to spend more of your family weekend time having fun together.

If you're thinking about putting off that family vacation to buy a new flat screen, you might want to reconsider your priorities. What you choose to spend your money on can affect how happy you are in the long run, says a new study from Cornell University.

Spending your money on things like vacations and massages -- or in other words, things that you experience -- can lead to happiness, whereas purchasing material items such as a TV or other electronics may yield temporary satisfaction but can make people feel less happy down the road.

Researchers found that consumers tended to rethink their material purchases by comparing what they bought to what others purchased or regretting missed deals or discounts. People who spent their money on trips or services or other experiences, on the other hand, were less likely to second guess their choices.