|
|
The Ultimate "Back To School" Checklist!Aug 08 '05 (Updated Jul 30 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Books
The Bottom Line .
I spend a lot of time at office supply stores and when the adverts started rolling in for the ‘back to school’ sales I was in heaven. Even though we are homeschoolers, I like to take advantage of these sales to stock up on things that the brood use as well as things that they might need at some point in the year. Cruising the aisles of Office Depot, Staples, Office Max and places like Wal-Mart and Target I came across more than a few frantic moms and dads who were trying to get a head start on things but weren’t having much luck. Sometimes it isn’t cost effective to buy the first thing you see or go for the things that you think your kid would like or be able to use. They are the ones that will be carrying that Spider-Man backpack around all year so make sure it is something that they are going to want to have with them - not something that you think looks cute. In a few short weeks hundreds of thousands of kids are going to be going back to school. That means shopping for clothes and supplies, brushing up on things that they learned the previous year and getting them back into a routine of going to bed early. Above and beyond the shopping and back to school jitters parents should take a minute or two to remember what it was like when they were in school. You might not think that getting a certain type of pen or folder means a lot but when something that small and trivial means the difference between being cool or being a geek - sometimes it's better to give in on the little things. Parents of preschool or kindergarten kids need to prepare their child for that first big separation but don’t forget to take some time for yourself. You might sit there and think, “I can’t wait for them to get into school” and when they walk out the door you burst into tears. It’s normal - it happens to everyone. I started out writing this as a ‘back to school’ list of things to buy but stopped to think about all the other aspects of going back to school and decided to add my two cents about safety as well. The Goods Most schools give out a list of things that they are requiring students to bring with them. Go over the list, look at the various sales that are going on and most importantly, talk to your child to see what he or she wants. Some schools don’t allow children fourth grade or lower to have hard binders, others have specific requires for a type of marker or glue. One of the most critical things is to look for the words ‘non toxic’ and the phrase “Conforms to ASTM & ANSI Performance Standards”. These are guidelines that are set in place so parents and educators know that if the items are ingested, a child will not become sick from anything in the produce. You’ve all heard the story about the kid who ate glue or the smaller kids that liked to eat crayons - that’s why most all school themed items are required to be non toxic and carry the “AP” seal of approval. You will want to start off with the basics; pencils are a staple of education but there are so many to choose from. For the younger kids I suggest the Dixon “My First Pencil” that is larger, easier for them to hold and had a nice sized eraser. For the older kids, check to see if they are allowed to use automatic pencils or if they are required to have the sharpener type number two lead ones. These are the ones that are required for most computer scored achievement tests so make sure that you have some of these on hand even if your child uses automatic or mechanical pencils. If you have pencils then you will need a sharpener; you can go with a hand held one that kids can take with them to school but for the home you may want to sink some money into an electric one. This goes double if they are going to be using colored pencils for art classes or coloring maps. Pens are always a big seller at the back to school events; you can choose from the standard pens in blue or black ink or go for the erasable ones. This is something that most schools aren’t all that specific about so let your child have a little fun when it comes time to pick these out. The more expensive ones like the Cross Ion are a waste of money for kids, they get lost or stolen and even though they are refillable it doesn’t do you much good or save you any money if it gets lost or someone swipes it. Pens with caps aren’t the best pick because the caps get misplaced or come loose if not pressed on firmly enough, this is where a retractable version is the best pick. Make sure you stress to kids the importance of cleaning out their pockets when they throw dirty clothes into the laundry or you could end up with ink all over everything if one of these is tossed in the machine. Erasers might not seem like they are a big deal but they are. Most of the time the erasers on pencils get torn to shreds, popped out of the metal cap or don’t work all that well. At Wal-Mart I saw a huge pack of pencil topper erasers in various neon colors, they were on sale 40 to a pack for .99 cents. While this might sound like a good idea stop to think about those neon colors streaking across the page. Spend a couple of extra pennies to buy the pink standard pencil toppers or go with an eraser stick. These are nice to have around the house, are the shape of a pencil so it can easily be tucked inside a pencil case and they are refillable. For the older kids, the gray ink erasers are a nice thing to pick up too but make sure they know to use it gently because it will rip up loose leaf paper. Notebooks are always a source of confusion and frustration for parents. One subject, multi subject, college rules, with pockets, with dividers, soft cover or plastic cover .. the choices are endless. Older kids who are taking advanced math will more than likely need graph paper however instead of buying it by the pack, invest in a quadrille notebook so that the pages aren’t wasted. Some schools ask that children get a composition notebook to keep a journal in; even these things have gotten complicated. For younger kids I suggest the Roaring Springs notebooks that are available in first, second and third grade formats. If they ask for just a standard composition notebook one of the best to get is the Mead version available in 100 or 120 sheet counts and with different colored marbled covers. One subject notebooks are a common request for younger kids and the general rule is one for each subject that they are taking. Which ever you are picking out, if it has a metal spine to it make sure that the edges are folded over and locked into the ends of it. This will eliminate the chance of it snagging on clothing, inside a backpack or catching on skin. The Avery Wirebound 1 Subject Notebook is a great one to look for. Crayons are something that appear on almost every list but bigger isn’t always better. With most schools having a limited amount of space, long gone are the days when you had a desk with a flip up top where you could leave your belonging. Before you get that 64 count pack of crayons, think about your child lugging it around all day and the chances that he or she will end up with a mangled box before it comes time to actually use them. I suggest going for the 24 pack unless the school requires something else. For the younger kids you might want to get them the washable versions; these come off of clothing, wall paper, floors, walls and tables easily and have the same vibrant colors of the regular crayons. The washable ones don’t cost all that much more than the regular ones so for the younger crowd they are the best pick. If you have a child that is rough on them then you might want to look into the Crayola Twistables. They just released a new series of colors in the erasable line and they are at the top of the list of things that I need to pick up when I hit Wal-Mart again. If you’ve never seen the Twistables they sort of look like a clear pencil but inside the sturdy plastic barrel is an advanceable crayon stick. Perfect for the child that seems to break each and every crayon no how gingerly they use them. Colored pencils are something that every kid will need if they are taking geography or art classes. Don’t waste your money on the more expensive brands like Berol or Prismacolor because chances are by the end of the year half of them will be used up or missing. RoseArt makes a nice selection of 10, 15 and 20 count packages but most kids consider them ‘generic products’. They write about the same as the Crayola ones and for general use they are more than fine. Crayola makes a wide variety of colored pencils including the water color ones that are great if a child wants to get creative without breaking out tubs or jars of paint. Don’t waste your money on the half sized ones unless the school specifically says that they are a necessity. These get lost easily, are a little harder to work with and cost about the same as the standard sized ones. So now you have all these pens, pencils, crayons and other assorted writing tools but you don’t have anything to keep them in. When I was in school, way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had special boxes that we kept things in but these days there are more than a few options to choose from. One of the coolest things I have ever seen for holding crayons is the Eldon Crayon Saver, it has molded ridges that you snap the crayons into so they stay in place and don’t break. Another option is the general, run of the mill pencil pouch, some of which are designed to fit inside a three ring binder. These are nice but unless you have one of the larger binders that have extra room inside them, chances are this is going to take up way too much space if you are carrying around a lot of supplies. You can also opt for something like the Rubbermaid Snap Case to store odd and ends in. This gives you more than enough room for pens, pencils, colored pencils, erasers and pencil sharpeners and the flip front lock on it ensures that everything you put into it stays inside it. If you want something that is made ‘just’ for school supplies then look for Smead’s SpaceBox. Available in a plethora of colors and sizes, these are nice if you have several children that you are stocking up for or for those that are unusually rough on pencil cases. Now, there is the debate over scissors. Some schools insist that you do not buy them because they have plastic ones that they give to the kids to keep accidents to a minimum. In the event that your school doesn’t do this there are a few choices to be made. First do you want to go with a plastic safety pair of scissors or ones with a metal blade. If you go for the metal version you have to pick between the blunt or point tipped ones. The blunt ones are the best choice, even for older kids because there is less of a chance of an accident happening. Staplers aren’t usually something that you see on the school list but glue and glue sticks are. If I had a choice I would say that glue sticks are the best pick but some schools insist that kids have an all purpose non toxic liquid glue for projects. One of the best kiddie glue sticks on the market is the Crayola Washable Glue Stick. The newer versions have a loop on the top so it can be attached to something and comes in a washable and regular version. For liquid glues Elmer’s is usually the one that people pick but if you want something that is made just for kids, look for the Alex Toys Kids White Glue. It costs about the same as Elmer’s and works just as well - the perk here is that if you buy it in bulk you can save up to 50% on the order. So, now that you have all this stuff - how do you get it back and forth to school? Well, I’m glad you asked. Backpacks and knapsacks are one of the biggest things that a kid needs but you shouldn’t base your purchase on the cartoon character that appears on it, what color it is or if it is popular. No, you have to look for the amount of padding on the shoulder straps, if it has a waist strap that they can use to take some of the weight and pressure off their back and how easy it is to get on and off. Other things to consider include ... how much stuff will my child be taking to school every day, how many subjects is he or she taking and how heavy are the books, do I need to consider something that has an extension arm to it so it can be rolled instead of carried and is it waterproof. Sling and messenger bags usually aren’t a good choice because the weight pools up at the bottom of it and eventually it will end up ripping or putting too much pressure on one shoulder. A cargo type backpack is nice if kids are into having separate pockets for everything. For boys I’d suggest something along the lines of the Burton Snowboards Youth Day Hiker Backpack - it’s rugged enough to deal with anything they can dish out, it’s well made and they won’t complain when they see it’s a Burton product. For the girls, the Hello Kitty backpack is always popular but you will want to check the tags on any type of bag like this to make sure that it is an officially licensed product. Knock offs are cheap and will rip or tear easily so while you might save a couple of dollars to start with, you will have to buy another one a few months later. Another thing to consider is how safe the bag is. Does it have things on it that could catch on doors or seats? Are there too many pockets so they spend a lot of time looking for things they need? Is the bottom reinforced so it will be able to handle heavy loads? When it comes to preparing your child for school you have to stop and remember what it was like - the fear, anxiety, excitement and all the comes with going back to school. There are good sides as well as bad sides - like the bullies that will try to take what they please from anyone they wish. Use a permanent marker to write your child’s name inside of bookbags or knapsack but try this trick too. If a bully knows that your child has his or her name on the inside they will do what they have to do to get rid of the name. Write the name inside of a flap of material that isn’t immediately visible - if trouble goes down at school and it one child’s word against another and the name is mysteriously removed - you have that little hidden name to fall back on. In fact, don’t even tell your child about this - leave it as a complete surprise. The same thing goes with lunch or treat money. If your child is getting shaken down then have them hide their money some place that only they know about. Going to a teacher or the principal isn’t an option most times because there are threats involved. Safety is another issue that you should tackle with your child. The rule of “never talk to strangers” should be one that you literally beat into their head. If they take a school bus make sure that they know when to cross the street, to wait for the lights on the bus to be flashing and even though it is a law that all traffic must stop when the lights are on - they should look both ways before crossing. If you are sending a child to school for the first time then you will want to make sure that they know their home phone number, address and full name so that if they get lost or something happens they can have someone contact you. Don’t forget to teach them the area code too, some people live in areas that have split area codes. This is also a good time to tell them about the good people and the bad people - if they happen to get lost or god forbid, someone tries to kidnap them, they should know or at least be familiar with people that can help them. Police officers, crossing guards, mail carriers, security guards and even parking enforcement are all people that you should tell your child they should look for if trouble arises. Teaching them to call 9-1-1 is also an option but you have to stress that it is only for emergencies, not when you are ten cents short on a can of soda. If you are going to teach your child about who to talk to in case of an emergency take a minute or two to tell them that no matter what happens or who is to blame, the most important thing is to get help. If they are completely panic stricken or find themselves lost the should go to the closest public place like a convenience store or place of business and ask them for help. If they feel that they are being followed or someone is after them the best place for them to be is inside a store, fast food establishment or any place where there are people. If someone has a uniform on then they are someone that they should ask for help - it could be a sanitation worker or even someone who is on their way to work at Burger King. Preparing them for something like this might frighten them a little but if they find themselves lost or in danger, they will be able to cope with the situation. No one wants to think about this kind of stuff but it happens every year. It’s better to spend a half hour or so having this little talk with them than to be hanging up ‘missing’ posters for the rest of your life. That might sound extreme but like I said, it happens all the time. With school starting in just a few weeks I urge everyone to pay a little more attention when driving to and from work, obey the posted school zone speed limits and stay off the cell phone when driving. All it takes is a split second for an accident to happen, but the ramifications of it can linger for a lifetime. As always, thanks for the read! ~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~ © 2005 Freak369  |
| Read all comments (2)|Write your own comment |
in Online Stores & Services, Home and Garden, Kids & Family, Wellness & Beauty, Restaurants & Gourmet, Books
- Top 10|
Ads by Google
|
