how do you handle back to school supplies?

[CW&M Mom]

I never in school was ever asked to bring in supplies for extra credit.

hmmm

This last year they ran out of papertowels and kleenex and they sent a not home asking for more.

We were the only one that sent them. How pathetic is that. When I found out no one else had sent any I sent more....and they sent a note home to everyone thanking me for bringing the papertowels and kleenex LOL.....gotta love guilt!

[434Teresa]

My kids have to have the 3 inch binders here and they cost a pretty penny and dont last no time, why not just use paper folders that cost 10 cents on sale and work just as good and last longer for most kids. Most parents can afford to buy them and not break the bank and they are they fit in the packpack great..

I know school supplies dont come cheap but there is ways to cut that cost down some so parents can afford to buy the things that kids need to have but it seems like the list is more about what the teachers want them to have these days. They want certin folders,types of gule,certin type of paper,certin kinds and count colors, just go back to the basic things that cost less sure they may not be as convenient as the things that cost more but they work just as well. Like the binders could take up alot less room and last longer...

see if another kid needs a paper folder I would send that a lot faster than a $5 binder and all parents could buy that faster and would keep extra's on hand..

as far as the stuff to clean and so on, I dont mind sending it at least one time during the year to keep colds and flu down but after that I just send small packs with my kids when they have a running nose..

as for smaller kids putting all items in a box for everyone no matter who buys I still dont like that ideal at all..I am a mom that checks to see what my kids need from time to tiem because I know they run out and break things, but most of all if they dont share everything with everybody the flu and cold germs dont get passed around as much either. Colors dont clean so well and who wants to wipe 200 colors off,20 glue sticks and so on off everyday??? desktops and door knobs yes but all that I dont think so......so I did put my older two boys names on everything when they were little and I will the twins when they get in school and I think that all other parents should do so to.. I do feel sorry for kids that have parents that dont have the money to buy these things or dont and I would be happy to send a few extras one time so they have them but to make my kids use a color right after a sick kids put in back in the box I dont like at all...

I was one of the kids that did not always have what I needed for school because of the lack of money but the teacher did not buy and give these things to me nor did they put then in a box for everyone to share, I would ask a friend if I could have a pice of paper because I was out or if I could borrow a color. Most kids have a freind or two that will share with them just like I did back then when I ran out of something. I know it still passes the germs around but not near as much, and I know it was not fair the to the parent of that kid but that kid was my friend and could say I had to share with Teresa because she ran out and the parent would know who I was and understand why the kid was out of so and so, but they way of putting everything in the box for the whole class you have no ideal how many kids you are suppling colors,gule and so for...so why not just let friends share with each other and keep the grems down while we are at it.

again I am not being mean I just want to know my kids have what they need for school and I would be happy to help the teacher with a few extras but to make my kids share with everyone I disagree with let them share with kids because they want to not becasue they have to.

[GuysMommy]

Wow! I just read this from the beginning and it was a lot to read.

So here is what I have been thinking. Before I became a SAHM I was a teacher- elementary. I totally agree there are some things on the list that the teacher may not need or what. There were some things I had way too much of at the end of the year and sent back home with the kids.

Kleenex and Hand sanitizer was a big thing for me. You would not believe how many 3rd graders pick their nose numerous times a day. Or how many parents send their kids to school when they are obviously sick. I agree that soap and water is much better but if I send each kid to the bathroom to wash their hand every time they sneezed, blew their nose, coughed, or picked their nose. I would never be able to teach a thing. We did use hand sanitizer before lunch which I agree is gross but there was no time for a bathroom break for all the kids. Especially when a bathroom break takes about 15 minutes if you take the whole class.

I did take bathroom breaks 3 times a day. So they were encouraged even if they did not need to use the restroom to wash their hands. I can not tell you how many times I was told that so and so did not wash their hands. Gross!!

Tissues are another big thing! I had to keep them on my desk to monitor their use but still kids way overuse them. But I agree that I would much rather have them blow their nose than wipe it on their sleeve. Tissues run out fast and I replenished them so many times.

The lysol wipes are a great idea. I did not use them but wish I had. I purchased my own cleaning supplies and cleaned the desks after the kids left each day. It is costly but I did not want all my kids to get sick. When they come to school sick they get everyone else sick and then when they miss school they have makeup work. So its better in all areas to keep germs away as much as possible.

As far as the other stuff. The box never mattered to me. As long as it was not huge. The problem we had was that kids had huge bulky stuff and their was no room to put it all.

I agree with the pencils that the fancy ones can ruin the pencil sharpener and those are expensive.

But my rule is to ask the teacher what they need. It may be different then the list. I know when we made the list I did not get a say because I was not the most experience teacher.

I just know as a teacher how much it helps when parents are willing to supply their kids school supplies.

I spent a lot of money on all the materials (not including school supplies- that was even more). For those that may not know- all the posters, a lot of the manipulatives, the supplies for experiments (if not supplied by the parents), and so much more are purchased by the teacher. All things that are used to give the children the best education possible.

Oh yeah, forgot to say that with supplies too many times children would take their supplies home and not bring them back. Then I would replinish them and they would take those home too. So I sometimes ended up supply for their house.

Anyways, no complaining!! I loved teaching! It is a wonderful experience and I can not wait to go back. It just is an expensive job!

[brokenangel]

Wow, this got to be a heated debate.
It never crossed my mind to not send in school supplies with my kids. I bought what was ever on the list. I was a single parent for many years with a ex who didn't pay support, I worked 50 to 60 hours a week to support my children. I voluntered at field day, class trips, class parties... Im lucky enough to have a employer who let me work around things like that. I made cupcakes, sent in snacks... anything the teachers ever asked for. I sold the junk from those annoying books for the school. I tried to do whatever I could to help the teachers and schools, my kids are bright children and I didnt do it alone. I now have a child going to college, 10th grader and 8th grader... takes a village to raise a child.


Rose art is Rose Crap!

This post is all over the place, sorry about that. Not even sure what point I was trying to make... lol