Wibblypig

Anyone else looking forward to their kids going back to school?

The last 10 weeks feel as if they have lasted FOREVER!!!

Mine go back on Monday, my eldest starts middle school (6th Grade), my middle one goes into 4th grade and my youngest finally starts school in Kindergarten!! YAY!

Hmmm now I feel like a bad mother.....but my husband has been working away for 8 out of the 10 weeks

Vicki

Bob

I'll be glad when the annoying adverts finish.

Speaking of kindergarten, the missus was chatting to a mum in a neighbouring town who has a kid starting, and they were required to get stuff for school to go in communal pots, but they had to be specific brands, 24 pack of Crayola crayons, pencils, colouring pens as well as specific pads of paper, folders etc.

Pretty expensive, considering the Dollar Tree shop has most of the knock off stuff for a fraction of the cost, but the alternative brands weren't acceptable.

Wibblypig

Yup that's true! It's cost us around $300 for the school supplies!! (not including the planners (find it odd that a 5yr old needs a planner!), P.E. kit, t-shirts etc).

Thankfully at this time of year all of the school supplies are really cheap, we have stocked up on lots of extras as we discovered over the last year that you get mid-year requests too when they run out!

It's only the lower years that you supply the class, the older years (at elementary) keep their own supplies.

'Apparently' non Crayola products aren't true colours!!! WTF!!! It's not as if they are doing art class!! Another thing that has been specified are washable markers...they of course cost 3x the price of the other Crayola Markers....

Jerseygirl

Sorry but for me it was quite the opposite...whether we were living in the UK or US. I cherished every day with my daughter...but I only had 1 child to deal with. My husband worked overseas for much of the time too.

lisa67

I think it's tougher when they're younger but as they get older the summer flies by.
My first summer in the US, when my kids were 1st grade and pre-K, I thought it would never end. But once they got in to the local summer programs the summers seem to go by quicker and quicker.
I'm now about to take DS to college and both my kids spend their summers on various courses and and different camps......bring back the days when I could spend all day with them at the park with a picnic and their bikes

moneypenny20

Sounds like they're taking the piss to me. What happens if you take a cheap brand of crayons? Does the child get detention or suspended? It would seriously naff me off if I had to supply stuff to be used by other kids.

I loved school holidays and having the girls home. Ahhhh fond memories!

Mummy in the foothills

They are specific on some things on the list here too. Like Crayola crayons, they are better than the knock offs and Roseart come a close second, but the dollar store ones are weird, they don't colour well.
Our school went back 3 weeks ago. The teacher has a list of supplies she needs and she shares everything between the whole class, so asks for things like Crayola crayons, pencils, tissues, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer dry erase markers and the list goes on and on. It can cost a fortune, I pick stuff up as I find it on sale, she needs it throughout the year not all in the first week.
No uniforms, PE kits or planners needed here. Just a bag, a lunch and no open toe shoes or spaghetti strap tops.
Dd is glad to be back in, she's 2nd grade this year, she missed the routine and school work and is loving it.

Bob

They get excluded...kind of ironic as the idea is that no one is made to feel excluded by removing the choice of brands kids can use, much like school uniforms.

Personally, I think it's dumb, should just get shit for your own kid, if the schools aren't able to provide for them...but there you go

moneypenny20

Serious? What, from school, or from a crayoning exercise? Either way that's just beyond fricking wrong. What about the children whose parents simply do not have that money to buy named brands? That is indeed dumb!

mamasue

Excluded?? i hope you're joking! What about parents that can't afford that stuff???

Ash UK/US

that is illegal in MI schools can request supplies but cannot demand them. Unfortunately I think teachers themselves often pick up the slack for people that do not supply the items.

Michael

Also some of the Chinese ones probably contain lead and other contaminants.

SalopianFunk

I'm looking forward to uni starting up again. A return to better weather, and making cool things.

Lion in Winter

But do you have to buy special crayons and markers to share with everyone?

robin1234

My wife works in a medium security prison so the only things her students bring in to class are drugs and shanks. Plus they are apt to steal any school supplies she does bring in..