Let’s pretend that we don’t care one way or another about the outcome, and let’s act like we are confident that we could calmly and resolutely march forward into the coming school year whatever it looks like, and let’s denude the entire situation of ALL its anxiety and stress and fear for the world and our own particular children, and let’s talk brightly and cheerfully about Back to School Shopping When We May Not Know Where School Will Take Place.
(Edited to add: We are currently anticipating sending Carla back to in-person school. Things could change; the school year doesn’t begin for a few weeks yet.)
So! My first question is about backpacks. How long do backpacks last? And, even if they are Sturdy Enough to last for multiple years, how long do they last from like a… user-preference standpoint? My husband says that Carla’s backpack – a Pottery Barn find of the Sturdy type – is totally fine for her again this year. She’s had it for three years, though, and – while it is still in Good Shape, it is looking a little dingy. My husband also reminds me that her backpack is a child’s size, and that he thinks a full size backpack would be too big for her. Maybe he’s right. But… at what age/size does a child need to pgrade to a full size backpack? I am not going into Pottery Barn kids anytime soon to compare sizes or have her try them on, so I realize we can only speak hypothetically here. Or perhaps – I am hoping – from experience. My own experience with backpacks is that I think I got a new one every year? I could be misremembering – conflating the Extreme Excitement I felt during the possibly fewer times I DID get a new backpack with general New School Supplies Excitement. (Oh man, is there anything as delightful as the purchase of a new TrapperKeeper and a colorful array of folders to snap inside it? I don’t know that many things in adulthood properly measure up.) Anyway: When it comes to backpacks for Carla, is it time for an update?
I am also wondering about school clothes. Carla’s school has a no-jeans dress code, with some other stipulations that I find less difficult to adhere to than “no jeans.” But I am not particularly inclined to buy her a whole closet full of new dresses at the moment. (See how I deftly sidestepped talking about WHY I am reluctant to do so?) She has a whole closet full of dresses, many of which still fit. And those that are too short, well, it’s harder to care about that sort of thing when you might only interact with other students over Zoom. (Whoops – got a little too close to The Subject We Are Avoiding there for a minute.)
She does need new pajamas, though. Her current jammies show off three or four inches of shoulder and wrist. That’s not technically a Back to School Shopping Item, though.
What about shoes? Will there be a lot of shoe-wearing in our futures? WHO CAN PREDICT.
I think we are all set on water bottles. We have two, even if one is pretty battered. And we have masks galore (my dear friend, who said she would make Carla a mask, made her TEN MASKS and then made me a mask as well with the extra fabric she is a SAINT), so I am not worrying about facial protection.
Carla’s school provides all day-to-day school supplies, like crayons and paper and scissors and such (yes, I know we are deeply, deeply fortunate), so we don’t need to buy any of those things. Plus, we are All Set on that kind of thing at home from the end of the last school year.
Part of the thing about Back to School Shopping, though, is that it helps build excitement for the school year. I mean, that’s how I remember it. Getting new clothes and new pencils with perfectly sharpened tips and notebooks filled with fresh, crisp sheets of paper was all tied up in that thrill of nerves about the new school year beginning. Even if we have replaced the delicious anticipation about which teacher we’ll get and which kids will be in our class and which wing of the school we’ll be in with – skipping briskly over stressful subjects la la la – other things, we should still get to be excited about a new year, no? Maybe a First Day of School dress is in order? Maybe a new backpack or a new water bottle WOULD be a good use of money? Maybe I could get her a bunch of erasers in fun shapes and pencils in fun patterns and hand sanitizer in cloying scents and cute fidget toys? If they aren’t exactly necessary, maybe they would HELP nonetheless?
It feels like we’re all in this endless holding pattern. And, okay, even once Decisions have been made — and I know that What Happens With School has already been determined for a lot of people — life still isn’t The Way It Was. So all these routines and seasonal purchases and annual Things We Look Forward To just… aren’t there right now. I think I’m leaning toward getting a few things, just for the sake of (fake) normalcy, fun, and creating joy where we can. If there’s anything on the list, it should be those three things.
Plus, I have my own personal Back to School Shopping List, and let me tell you, it starts with tequila and ends with gin.
Oh man, I so, so miss the joy of back to school shopping. The pencil cases! The pens! The crisp paper! I even miss wrapping my school books in brown paper bag covers to protect them. Is that even a thing anymore? Are *books* in school even a thing anymore? I’m so out of touch and also showing my age.
I’m pretty sure I only got a new backpack when my old one ripped, but I also only really remember carrying a backpack in junior high/high school, not elementary. If it still fits her, I would say clean it as best you can and keep it for now- she’s going to need a larger size soon enough. Instead, I’d concentrate on the other supplies to generate excitement- first day of school dress, AND water bottle, AND erasers, AND pencils, AND fun notepads/paper. Maybe also a fun lunch bag to pack her lunch in (fulfills the need to buy a new bag, and will be useful at some point no matter which way things go)?
(Also, I am sure that you have thought of this but I have a policy of saying what seems to me to be obvious just in case it is not obvious to the other person (this policy brought to you by the random commenter on a random site who was like “oh, I just comb my hair in the shower while the conditioner is still in, it makes it so much easier afterwards, la la la” and BLEW MY MIND) but can Carla wear pants/leggings under her too short dresses in the event of Leaving the House- ie, rebrand them as long shirts instead? I feel like it’s highly likely she’s wearing leggings already, and only you know what Too Short means to you, but I thought I’d put it out there anyway..)
YES. She can definitely wear leggings under her too-short dresses. And I plan to get as much use out of them as possible. (I also like it when people share “obvious-to-them” tips because sometimes they are truly life changing.)
It had never occurred to me that it is possible to comb one’s hair IN THE SHOWER WITH THE CONDITIONER STILL IN. My mind has also been blown. Thank you, Kate!
Enjoy what you can enjoy!! I risked our lives a few weeks ago (we start back earlier than a lot of states) and masked us up to go into Staples. And it was so fun, and normal! With even fewer people crowding the aisles than usual, since the public schools are all vitrual. Worth it.
As for the backpack, if she’s not fussing about a new one, make that thing last as long as you can! They aren’t cheap! My darling daughter has wanted a new one every year of her life, and gotten one. They got increasingly expensive as she got older (Vera Bradley was her brand of choice; I found an outlet but still). Last year (6th) she asked for a North Face and at $85 I told her it was her Middle School Backpack, full stop. No more new ones unless it falls apart. And then she will use an “old” one. Ohhh, I have a love-hate with backpack buying.
LOVED this post and how you avoided the subject. 😉
Okay – I think you’re right: as long as she isn’t complaining, we will keep the old backpack!
My kids did not get a new back pack every year. I believe there are some jokes now about how many years Mini had the Hello Kitty back pack.
I am still stuck on the no jeans policy. Is it a private school?
I vote a few new things for kicks. Hoping a new teacher will be fun and zoom or in person will still be exciting way to start the new year.
Yes – a private school. My husband went to the same school and didn’t even OWN a pair of jeans when I met him, when we were juniors in college!
My kids(high school age) are starting the school year remotely, but we will be buying some new pencils and notebooks because they will need them. My husband always take them shopping for a new first day of school outfit, but we will probably not do that this year. As far as backpacks go, we bought from Lands End or LLBean and they were used until they were falling apart or needed something bigger. Both websites give you either an age or height range that the backpack should fit and we went by that. My senior is on her 4th backpack and my freshman is on his 3rd.
I MUST be misremembering how frequently I replaced backpacks, then. Because this sounds very reasonable.
I feel like three years is a really solid run for a school backpack. I think we generally go about two and then it is relegated to backup status. We get sturdy Pottery Barn types too, but maybe my boys are just really hard on them. We did decide to get exciting new backpacks for two of ours. I figured they’ll use them next year even if…(but we’re not talking about that).
All of ours got new shoes in late February. Shoes that look new, but no longer fit (grumble grumble). So I need to do something about that. I ordered school supplies through our school service. In an abundance of hope.
Definitely get a few things – whether school is in person or online (oops!) it just wouldn’t be the same without a first day outfit, etc.
I used to love back to school shopping. I remember buying my son a TrapperKeeper when he started middle school. And being absolutely floored that they didn’t use them anymore! AND that they did not want the textbooks covered (we used to use paper grocery bags to cover ours with and it was required).
Am also floored with the whole comb your hair in the shower…although this will be a tip that I won’t be following because – curls.