The School Shopping Scam...

[bleedingheart]

Okay...am I the only parent who doesn't fall for the "Back to School" shopping spree?

My kids already have book bags...why buy one if the others work just fine?

My kids have shoes that fit...why buy new shoes when they don't need them?

I have tons of pencils, crayons and other stuff...

I also think that buying a bunch of tablets and notebooks ahead of knowing what they need is kind of dumb and sets me up to have more stuff that I don't need or no one uses...

[Mizmoon]

1. It's about making your kids feel good and special

about the start of a new school year. We always get new clothes, a new haircut, new contacts, fresh supplies, etc. IMO, anyway.

We also get a list of what he needs in advance so nothing goes to waste.

[bleedingheart]

4. I think there is a big difference between getting ready for school

and going overboard...

My son is still growing out his summer buzz cut...and my daughter got a haircut a week ago...so it grows out a bit more nicely...

Our school doesn't give the lists of stuff until they start school and so I wait and then get only what they need...but I have seen parents get a whole new boatload of stuff when some of last years stuff could still be used.

[Mizmoon]

8. Eh, for all I know the stuff just rots in his locker

but he gets what's on the list and takes it in, anyway.

Yeah, some people go crazy. For a while my son was trying to talk me into getting him laptop "for school". I'm no fool - there would be lots of IMing and "World of Warcraft" playing, but precious little note-taking. But some parents fall for it, I'm sure.

[Shell Beau]

2. It always got me excited about

going back to school. It helps to make the kids feel good. I think it is a good thing, but it can be a lot of money. There are ways to save though.

[salvorhardin]

3. Heh -- I thought this way even when I was a kid

and Mom would frogmarch us into Jamesway and Sears to get new school clothes every August. Man, I think society played some serious mindfuck with my parents' generation.

On the other hand, we always needed shoes and sneakers for gym class. Probably had something to do with Mom buying the cheapest piece'o'crap shoes that she could find for us -- not that she had a whole lot of choice in the matter given the family income.

[Zuni]

5. back to school shopping=crushing a kid's last days of summer

of course back to school shopping was seriously depressing to me :(

[Midlodemocrat]

14. LOL. That is funny. Sounds like my son.

We went to Target yesterday to buy school supplies....our district has a list of supplies for each grade...and my son looked around at all the Back To School signs and said 'It's like they are celebrating school or something'.

[greekspeak]

6. We always went on the weekend before school to get supplies

We got what we needed, not more. We got a few new pads, rarely any new writing implements because they multiply in drawers. It was also the main time when we got new clothes. My grandmother had a special account set up when she died that made sure we each got a few bucks' worth of clothes to start school with. Holidays we would just get one article of clothing. This is when we actually got our "wardrobe" if you want to call it that. About four new articles of clothing, some underthings, shoes if needed. We did not go out and break the bank buying dozens of outfits, unneeded school supplies, etc.

[Child_Of_Isis]

7. It is a scam.

It keeps the economy going. Are your kids mad at you? My daughter would be furious. Kids (and society) have been taught that in order for us to "care" about them we must spend big and do everything for them....(as in Cindy, go home and take care of your kids). If a person is not naturally a consumerite (my word for folks who need to keep up with the Jone's) advertisers can make sure they become one just by marketing to the kid in the family.

[bleedingheart]

9. my kid's don't know any better cuz I never have done this...

this is my logic...it won't get cold until October...so why buy loads of jeans and pants (which they sometimes need cuz they do grow.)...when they are at their highest prices in the stores...?
So I make them wear their nice shorts and summer stuff until that happens.

By that time...the stores have all the "school" clothes marked at half off and I then buy enough pants for my son to ruin by end of school year and some outfits for my daughter. My son wears t-shirts to school but my daughter is a bit more fashionable and wears dresses until it grows too cold for her...

My kids each have two pairs of shoes...one pair of dress (but not too dressy) and a pair of tennis shoes..

[Child_Of_Isis]

10. Well this is my logic...

Something is really wrong in a society where the price of a child's jeans and how much "stuff" they have, determines if they will be accepted (or taunted) in school. Children do pay, socially, if we do not spend. Sad.

[Shell Beau]

11. Kids can be cruel. They do

make fun of others for what they wear or don't wear. It is really sad.

[SmokingJacket]

12. I buy new lunch boxes and maybe a backpack if the old one's no

good. I remember how excited I always was about my new lunch box...

I almost never buy my kids clothes, because we have a neighbor with an older boy who hands them down to us. That plus presents from grandma keeps us covered.

Thank goodness, because we're broke this year. (thanks George!!)

[AlCzervik]

13. I don't fall for it either unless we have to replace worn out items

my daughter wears a uniform so she just needed a few pieces to replace the ones she'd outgrown and we had to buy a new lunch box, last year's was ruined by the last day of school. That was about all we bought, she loves her 3 year old back pack so there is no way she's getting rid of it.