Get Out Your Wallet
For most families, going back to
school means shopping for supplies.
T
he summer is nearly over as
families prepare for the new
school year. Parents make
plans to go shopping for school
supplies, much of which cannot be
salvaged from last year's
remains, and, of course,
new clothes.
Many schools have
sent packets of summer
assignments, such as math
sheets and reading lists,
to be completed before
students return to school.
By the time you read this
column, it will be too late
to encourage your child to
complete the math prob-
lems that could have been
done before the Fourth
of July. You can try to find at least
some books from the reading list at
the library, but you will be compet-
ing with others who also have waited
until now. These notices are not
meant to chastise, but to give you fair
warning to prepare for the start of the
year.
School supplies are another matter.
In late summer, parents scour Sunday
flyers for ways to save a few dollars.
There may be a few sale items worth
buying at a particular store, but to
save time you may
get everything
else there as well.
A few intrepid
parents will go
from store to store
buying each item
for its savings, but
the time and gas
expended make
the efficiency of
such an endeavor
questionable.
A few items on
the list are inevi-
tably a challenge
to even the most
experienced parent. For example, not
being familiar with the latest calcula-
tors, the ones with multi-functions
and graphing capabilities, can try
a parent's patience. Or look at the
variety of backpacks available. Does it
have enough areas for storing books
or pockets for school supplies, lunch
boxes or water bottles? A child may
reject the most versatile backpack for
the oddest of reasons. Function may
yield to the aesthetics of an enticing
pattern to color with markers or an
image of Justin Bieber.
Today, students often need packs
that expand to accommodate extra
books and folders. Many children
have lockers far from a
convenient location in the
school if they have one at
all, so they carry every-
thing with them through-
out the day, including
coats and food. As a result,
backpacks have become
heavier each year leading
to back problems incurred
at early ages. Backpacks
with wheels are useful, but
are not acceptable to many.
Clothing is another item
on which parents spend
a lot of money. Many children use
clothing to gain status or to form
connections with peers. If a parent
takes a child to sales prior to the
beginning of school, any presumed
savings may disappear when the child
gets to school and finds that what
was purchased isn't what others deem
as "cool:'
While some schools do not require
uniforms, the acceptability of stu-
dents' clothing can be equally restric-
tive. A good friend suggested that
parents postpone
clothes shopping
until after school
begins so that stu-
dents will know
what the current
styles are. While
savings may be
lost by missing
sales, buying
clothes that actu-
ally will be worn
may be the most
cost-effective
option.
Played right,
shopping for
school can build excitement for the
coming year when children still have
their hearts set on summer. They
won't fully grasp that the years of
dedication to learning will lead to
a variety of work and professional
choices. Students want to focus on
what friends they will see and
upcoming school activities, not future
aspirations. Do what you can to
encourage your children to be happy
in all that awaits them.
❑
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