Backpacks. Books. Markers. Jeans. Shoes.
What’s essential and what’s not when your kids are heading back to school?
CityLine.ca turned to Sandra Martin of Today’s Parent for advice, and Martin admits it can be easy to overdo it at this time of year.
“Visa Canada recently did a poll of Canadian parents asking how much they spend on back-to-school and the average family spend just over $400, which is a big chunk of change. So, strategy is a big thing,” she notes.
Martin, a mom of two, advises parents not to buy everything at once. How many back to school outfits do they really need? Maybe your active child will go through five pairs of jeans and two pairs of sneakers over the course of the year, but don’t feel the need to get everything in August.
“It’s an expensive time of year,” Martin says. “This is when things like after-school sports, you’re signing up for those again, so that’s another outlay. Try to spread it out as much as possible.”
Some schools will post a list online of what your little ones will need that first week back, others will send a list home with students. Another option is to speak to the teacher that first week and find out the essential items.
That said, there are some good first-day basics to pick up — consider a backpack, a pencil case and some pencils and/or pens depending on their age, a ruler, and a new pair of sturdy shoes.
“Shoes are a big thing for school, even with kids who are pre-school. As the weather starts to get bad, they’ll be required to have an indoor pair and an outdoor pair,” she says. “Keep your eyes open for sales, really look at the resale or past season stores like The Shoe Company for bargains and pick them up when you can get them on sale. You can’t always get your child’s size, when you need it.”
And lastly, get the kids involved in the back-to-school shopping — you might just find they have more enthusiasm on that first day back if they’re happy to show off their cool new backpack or that pair of shoes.
“I think it’s a great way to get the kids excited about back-to-school,” Martin nods. “There are great theme backpacks now, so if your kid is into a particular character or sport you can play to that without having to spend a lot of money.”
Check out the Today’s Parent Back To School section here.