I was just discovering the fact that we need to take a small loan to cover the children's school supply lists this year. From Kleenex to a blanket and pillow, yeah I envy them their naps, we have a very large list of items. When was it that schools stopped supplying the children's needs? I mean I can remember I had my Big Chief Tablet, my good old Number 2 Pencil, and I was ready to conquer the world.
I am very afraid of the future needs of my kids and the "school supplies". I can see the list having a laptop, blackberry, cellphone, ipod for downloading lectures, and many more schools supplies that are necessary for teachers to make sure they can read or write. *sigh*
Okay, I know I made my own bed, but sheesh! I was just perusing the bank account and I can't even buy that big chief tablet!
I feel your pain G-Man! Every year when it's time to buy school supplies...I cringe at the thought and faint at the amount of money spent!
And though I wish I could alleviate your worry and angst...it doesn't get any cheaper once they get older! SORRY!
they already request laptops for highschool here in Australia. I think they introduced it last year.
Don't forget the zipper snack bags (?), about forty-seven glue sticks and six packs of red pens. Wha? And that's b/c we're in private school, where ostensibly our tuition dollars pay for some of this stuff. Of course, I only have two kids....
Long time to read. Anyhow...I honestly don't remember having a school supply list growing up. Supplies were provided by the school and we all had the same glue, scissors, pencils, etc. You bought your own notebooks and folders in high school, but teachers didn't dictate color, size, style, etc. When did this start? Or are we just getting old and our brains are falling apart?
I hate to tell you, but it only gets worse as they get older. I get to figure out how to buy a musical instrument in the next two weeks since in 6th grade one is starting band. Suck.
And is it the first or second day of school that they come home and tell you about all the "fund raising" projects that start NOW (anybody wanna buy some wrapping paper? Apparently our cafeteria is running low on food) and the inevitable school carnival to raise money for playground equipment and could you please volunteer just a few days a week to come in and make copies and staple things and oh BY THE WAY it's your turn to bring snacks - there are 27 kids, no two like the same thing, and beware of peanut and water allergies.
And my kid is just in first grade. Good thing I'm not cynical...
I sooo hear what you are saying! Dont forget about the watercolors in a bazillion different colors by one specific brand!! :)
Great blog by the way! (I'm usually a lurker)
I spend $200 easily on school supplies between the 4 kids. Our lists include things like tissues, disposable cameras, and baby wipes so they can clean their desk tops.
Still can't find a darned marbled composition book. And Skatemom, I hear you, my child is also in private school. We decided she was going to use several of her supplies from last year (binder, scissors, etc). And yeah, what's up with all the red pens????
Laugh about the laptop on the school supply list all you want, but the future is here my friend.
I lifted this off of my alma mata's web site. G0 Heels!
Why does Carolina require that every student have a laptop computer?
The Carolina Computing Initiative (CCI), which requires that all freshmen own an Intel-based laptop computer that meets University specifications, strives to offer Carolina students the most up-to-date …..
We went and bought the first round of supplies this week. 4 kids in school was $135. Next month we buy the packets from school, to the tune of $25 each, just so each kid can have the same type of notebooks as everyone else.
That doesn't include the paper towels, tissues, antibacterial hand gel, the wipes, etc etc. I sometimes wonder if we are going to have to send in our own toilet paper next.
The fundraisers start the first day of school. Wrapping paper, magazines, yadda yadda. It's enough to make your head spin sometimes.
But, HEY! They will be at school!
Did the school supply thing this week for Gameboy & Princess - I didn't get the kleenex, paper towels, clorox clean-ups, hand sanitizer or the protractor - and still spent $82.36
I'm used to the red pens (the students use them to correct each others work) and the anti-bacterial cleaning supplies (helps keep the disease down and I'm all for that) but what boggles my mind is when I have to buy DRY ERASE Markers for the teachers to write on the board. Doesn't my tuition $ pay for those at the very least?
The cost of school supplies is the primary reason why my husband and I have only one child. It's the truth. I just went shopping for my daughter's school supplies the other day and it's incredible how much they need. I had to buy a bottle of pump soap for her to use after art class. I definitely know we never had to buy soap when I went to school. I can't even blame the sucky public school system because we send her to Catholic school.
year . raising children can be costy
but it's worth it
I always bought my classroom's little necessities (kleenex, hand sanitizer, room freshener, red pens, chalk, staples, paper clips, scissors, etc, myself. It was part of my job to keep my classroom supplied. I did not buy the students' stuff, but when did schools start asking for things that their general misc. account is supposed to fund? That makes no sense. Sorry, but asking the students to bring in kleenex and anything to be shared with the whole class like that, is just plain lazy on somebody's part. Jeepers.
Didn't eat paste, but I did that cool trick where you take Elmer's white glue and smear a thin layer on the top of your hand. Wait for it to dry completely then peel it off like dead skin. Cool!
In addition to school supplies, Indiana schools charge "book fees". My son's 9th grade fee is $180. The 5th grader will cost $120.
We had to pay for the rental of a laptop one year for my son because he can type faster than he can write. Apparently one of the teacher's talked his dad into this.
I told the kid to work on his penmanship.