School Shopping Tips for Elementary School

It starts right after the Fourth of July while we are still in full summer mode. I'm talking about the store ads, catalogs, and commercials that snap us back into reality that the new school year is right around the corner just when the kids have started sleeping in a little later and we've hit our summertime groove. A weird mix of excitement, nostalgia, fear, and guilt creeps over me, squashing my summertime groove and leading back to the nighttime worry sessions that I experience during the school year. (Sounds crazy, but almost every mom knows what I'm talking about. My fellow moms and I often joke about calling each other at 2am to see what the other is stressing over.) So back to the topic at hand, school shopping - not a big deal, parents. By this I am saying that when school starts, there are only a few essentials that you really need to worry about. All the rest can be purchased little by little as you settle back into the school mentality.

Here are a few essentials:

1. Whatever is on the teacher's school supply list! I am a teacher and I am telling you that teachers don't like it when kids come to class without their supplies unless it is a situation involving financial hardship and the like. Laziness does not count and does not go over well with your child's new teacher! So school supplies are important and must be exactly as specified for whatever reasons the teacher may have for her choices. If it says black-and-white composition book, don't buy a pink polkadotted composition book because it's cuter. The teacher may want to grade them all without knowing the identity of the writer and your hot pink cover blows the whole thing.

2. Athletic shoes. Most elementary schools are very picky about shoes. Dark rubber soles mark up the gym floors, flip flops cause accidents, and so on. Even if they wear cuter shoes to school, they will have to take along their gym shoes so shopping for good tennis shoes is key. As sad as it is to see 3rd graders who can't tie their shoes, I am in favor of velcro when it looks good because of the practicality on those late-for the -bus mornings.

3. A reusable lunchbag. The greenie in me must point out that reusable lunchbags are the way to go if your child regularly brings lunch from home. Likewise, a reusable water bottle, required by many gym teachers these days, is a wise choice to help save the planet! Buy a stainless steel bottle to avoid the toxic chemicals in certain types of plastic sports bottles.

4. A few new clothes, but no long pants. In most parts of the U.S. at least, it doesn't make much sense to buy long pants that won't be worn much for at least another month or two. By that time, your nice-fitting jeans will have started approaching high-water levels and you wil be forced to pass down another brand-new pair of jeans. Sales happen all the time, so don't be swayed by the lure of back-to-school sales. You are just as likely to score big bargains at the fall clearance sales. Check out online websites of your favorite stores to buy t-shirts and other summer attire at rock-bottom prices.

5. Things to make homework "fun" or at least not as repulsive. I have a whiteboard, a chalkboard, index cards, gel pens, sparkly pens, alphabet stickers, whatever it takes to make practicing spelling and math a little more interesting than doing a worksheet, which they already have to do enough of.

Don't drive yourself crazy poring over the school shopping ads. It will all be there the week after school starts and the month after school starts. Get the basics and enjoy easing into the school year while it still feels like summer!