It is that time of year again when parents rejoice at the thought of sending their little darlings back to school for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. It also that time of year when the brand new school run, mums and dads will be preparing to hand over their little tiddlers for the first time. This year I fit into both categories as the eldest will be going into juniors but my tiddler will be starting big school and if the the last time is anything to go by I will be a weeping mess in the playground once again as I loose my littlest buddy to the world of school.
Whether you are an old hat at the school thing or a newbie who feels clueless, here is a little list of the back to school essentials you need to remember to make life easier.
A back pack
Even the tiniest of school starters will need a bag for their reading books, homework and never ending stream of school letters (usually about nits!). Most children will request a back pack in their favourite cartoon charter but be careful, these change and soon their favourite bag will become too “babyish” for big school and you will find them asking for a new one before the term is out. Plus if all the girls love Dora and all the boys love Fireman Sam, you can guarantee you will end up with someone else’s smelly PE kit and a half eaten egg butty at least once a week when they bring home the wrong bag. Instead why not go for something a little more original like this bag from Flying Tiger for only £6. It’s also smaller than your usual bag so the tiddler doesn’t look like he is going on a 23 mile hike or at risk of falling backwards if the wind picks up.
Stationery
Every primary school aged child needs stationery. Even if they are not required to take it to school with them they will most certainly need it for their homework and it is much better if they have their own set than you having to join them for last minute treasure hunts for pens on a Sunday evening or having to face full refusal to do homework at all because “I can’t write with THAT pen”. Nope stick to a brand you know and love, for me it has to be Bic, or smiggle, and order your little munchkins their own set and if they do need take it to school, order two sets. I particularly like these hard cased pencils as there is no need for endless sharpening and these retractable pens that have 3 colours (red, black and blue) and a pencil inside. A great way for your child to learn to write without having to get use to different pen shapes.
Pencil Case
If you actually want your child to keep their brand spanking new stationery safe and secure they are going to need a pencil case. The guys at Flying Tiger do a nice and simple one for £2 – total bargain, which is just the right size but has a cute over sized zip that makes it easier for the tiddlers to open and close all by themselves.
Head Lice repellent
Okay, okay, I know you don’t want to think about nits especially if you are sending your child to school for the first time BUT nits are a part of school life, especially if you have girls, or boys with long hair. So far in our house we have been lucky and I have only had to deal with the pesky things once but the mere mention of them makes my skin crawl and my own head itch so when I heard about this product I knew I had to include it in the essentials post. Hedrin Protect & Go claims to “actively protect your children from head lice infestations” wahoo!! You use it like a spray in conditioner and as it is made by the “go-to-head-lice-removal-people” Hedrin, it is a brand we already know and trust. So if like me you want to avoid the itchy scratchy fight with lice that always ends in a deep clean and genuine thoughts of moving house and school in a bid to get away from them (the lice not the children), then this is definitely a back to school essential.
Wine
Trust me, after listening to your child tell you the same story 9,032 times, spending the whole of Sunday afternoon helping them to read a book with a grand total of 23 words in it, realising they have lost their 4th jumper in as many weeks and finding a letter rammed inside their spelling book explaining how your child needs cookery ingredients for next Tuesday which is now in fact tomorrow, you will indeed need wine. Any wine will work, but let me recommend the LIVE strawberry and lime infusion, which comes in a pouch that holds not one but TWO bottles of wine AND stays fresh from 4 weeks (ha like it will ever need to last that long).
What are your back to school essentials?