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Parents Talk: Shopping for School Supplies

It's August, otherwise known as Back-to-School readiness month, Patch wants to know how your family does the school supply shopping thing?

School supplies have been on the shelves for nearly a month already, some say certain supplies are already picked over. Now that August is here, the real surge in shopping for supplies is expected to hit and for some of us parents, it's not our most favorite time.

I took mine to Target last week and am happy to report that while I was able to keep my cool another nearby mom wasn't.

She gave up the battle, threw the supplies they had already chosen into a bin and left. Empty handed.

I can't say I blame her. With kids in three different schools and four different class lists, it's easy to get overwhelmed and simply annoyed with the shopping process.

While our eighth grader's list was super specific with certain colored notebooks and folders, our first grader's list left all the options open.

It's easy to say "no characters" and "simple, plain folders and notebooks only" until you're standing in the school supply aisle with a six year old who just has to have that Star Wars folder.

While speaking with a local dad, he said in their house they choose a theme, either all Batman or all Star Wars and such to save on the discussion but the money adds up.

Still yet another local mom said they do only solid colored "plain" folders and notebooks to save a little money where she can.

How does your family school supply shop? Do mom and dad make all the decisions or do the kids get to choose?

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Shakopee Mom August 2, 2012 at 01:06 pm
Once they hit secondary schools, above grade 7 or 8, the lists stop being sent out. I would much rather that the lists continued instead of waiting until the first week of school and then trying to find school supplies that the secondary teachers demand. Sales are over by September. The question of mom and dad or the kids get to choose is not the entire question....the school dictates much of the choice in the lower grades. The elementary schools that I have dealt with told us what kind of folders - color, no "trapper" folders, no characters; the kind of crayons - washable, not washable, primary color only; the type of backpack - size, not wheeled, etc. As mine got older there was more leeway given by the school and my kids got 80% of the choice (then it was the cost determined by us parents). Wait until you have to have a graphing calculator and school has started -- then you don't get it on sale or it's hard to find. My youngest is a senior this year....YAY!! When they were younger...school supply shopping would run 60-90 dollars per kid, depending on if they needed a new backpack or if a big expense item was needed.
Shakopee Mom August 2, 2012 at 01:08 pm
For the most part, I shopped alone for the school supplies and used the list. If I took the kids; then I took them at a non-peak time and handed them the list and I would be waiting for them out of the chaos of the school supply area.
Becky Glander (Editor) August 2, 2012 at 01:13 pm
I ordered all of my first grader's school supplies through a PTA program. Does anyone else have that option?
Miranda Paige Lawell August 2, 2012 at 09:23 pm
For all parents out there: If you have children (especially girls around middle school age) and want to save on the cost of buying decorated folders and notebooks, encourage them to decorate their own. Some of my best memories is getting my plain folders and taking them over to my best friends house to decorate. We looked at magazines and newspapers to cut out letters and pictures we liked and just taped or glued them on. Great activity to get the brain working before school starts!
Wendy Erlien (Editor) August 2, 2012 at 09:45 pm
We used to have the options as well when my kids were in elementary. I always felt like I could get a better bargain getting the items on our own -- but, then again, I probably would have saved myself a lot of aggravation in supply searching!
jen August 3, 2012 at 05:55 am
I reuse many if the items from the last year. Most if the time at the end of the year they come home with markers, red pens, pencils, glue, scissors, ruler, etc. Then we just need to get a few items like folders, Kleenex, etc.
Jennifer August 3, 2012 at 04:28 pm
The Dollar Tree off of Cedar Ave on 153rd Street almost always has good quality spiral bound notebooks. I buy envelopes there as well. They have a good selection of school supplies.
Jennifer August 3, 2012 at 04:29 pm
Sorry, I meant to say that Dollar Tree store is in Apple Valley.
rob_h78 August 3, 2012 at 04:46 pm
I just order through the PTO. Given the time and hassle of trying to find everything on the list - it just wasn't worth me trying to track it all down.
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