If you remember back to when you were a child, you can probably recall the excitement of receiving new school clothes in September, just before the school year started. Maybe you went out with your parents and were allowed to pick out a few staple items for the year, such as jeans, shoes, and a new jacket. These new school clothes brought you pride, and chances are, you do the same thing now for your own children. Each year, on the first day and throughout the first week of school, children proudly wear the newest fashions straight off the Disney Channel and enter the silent game of keeping up with the Joneses, trying to save face. Fast-forward a few weeks, and most of these clothes are sitting in the back of the closet, as options that are more comfortable become the favorites. Even worse, many parents and children spend hundreds of dollars on school clothes with the hope that they will feel accepted and stylish. If there ever was an argument for school uniforms, this pre-school year shopping spree could be it!
Managing School Clothes and Supplies Wisely
First, remember that we are living in challenging economic times. Spending a fortune on clothes that will soon be covered in paint and glue is simply not worth it. If you have older children, you’ve probably noticed (but may have forgotten) that comfortable jeans with tasteful holes and a favorite t-shirt often become the go-to attire. Sure, well-coordinated outfits with the best brand labels may seem like the right choice at the start of the year, but chances are, they will either be given away or sold at a yard sale. Instead of spending a fortune all at once, set a spending limit for your children. This allows them to decide whether those designer-label jeans are really worth being their one and only new school purchase. This teaches them the value of money and the superficial nature of buying brand-name clothes.
Many of you probably remember when a great pair of new school shoes was all you got. Combined with a new binder, some paper, and crisp pencils, you were set. Today, the school shopping list for most schools includes a variety of items, from dry erase markers to flash drives. All of these purchases—whether on sale or not—can add up quickly. For households with more than one child, school supplies alone, complete with hand sanitizer and paper towels, can cost over $150 per child. If this is a struggle for you, consider talking to your child’s teacher to see if you can space out your purchases. After all, 35 3-pack rolls of paper towels may seem like plenty for one classroom, but come Christmas time, they’re bound to run short.
Another realization you might not have considered when buying school clothes for children is that they grow quickly. If you load up on clothes that fit perfectly now, there’s a good chance that by January, many of them won’t fit anymore. You’ll be left with 5 pairs of pants, plenty of shirts, and leather Sperry shoes that have barely been worn and are no longer useful. Rather than buying everything all at once or forcing your child to roll their jeans and tuck in oversized shirts, buy just a few items at the beginning of the year. Then, space out your purchases or commit to buying one new piece of clothing for your child each week. This way, the clothes will be purchased progressively larger as your child grows. Plus, your child won’t feel like they’re wearing the same outfit over and over again, and to their friends, it will seem like they are continuously getting new clothes. (Silly but important for pre-teens and teens!)
You may be wondering what to buy. Back-to-school fashions are tempting. The new fall line-up is enticing. The latest styles are cool. You want your child to present themselves at school looking sharp and well-groomed, and you want them to feel good about themselves. But be realistic. In schoolrooms across the world, children are much more than what they wear. Ensuring that your child has the nicest clothes or the brand-name shoes that will get them accepted teaches them an awful lesson and passes down your own belief system. This isn’t to say that appearances don’t matter—they do! However, school should not be about style. It should not be about children buying their clothes at Wal-Mart versus those wearing Abercrombie. If you want the best of both worlds, take a stroll through the high-end thrift stores scattered across your hometown and find clean clothes with the labels or fashion sense you want. Put your kids on a budget and don’t be afraid to give clothes as birthday or holiday gifts throughout the year. Children need to learn that items like clothes cost money. If you are buying school clothes for your children, they should be involved in both the decision-making process of what to buy and in being responsible for getting what they need. This will teach them good habits and help them respect the things they do get.
Most importantly, before you go school-clothes shopping, search for sales and make sure you have a comprehensive list of must-have items (like underwear) versus novelties, like a new purse. Encourage your children to pick out staple items like jeans and shirts that can be mixed and matched, rather than cute outfits, so they get more value for their money. Above all, have fun and allow your children to experience that feeling comparable to the ‘new car smell’—a rare sensation that only happens a few times in a lifetime.
