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Adventures in School Supply Shopping
I have fond memories of shopping for new school supplies each year when I was a kid. I remember carefully selecting the perfect pencil box and how I was so excited about a hot pink Hello Kitty binder that I picked out for third grade.
Last week I realized that school shopping is very different when you are the parent. As we walked into the Target back-to-school section armed with lists from their teachers, my kids got that “Christmas morning” look in their eyes. I quickly reminded them that we were only going to buy the items (in the specific quantity and brand) requested by their teachers. But at this point, they were already shaking with excitement and unable to comprehend my words. They quickly got the adventure started by randomly tossing anything that made noise, sparkled or just looked cool into the red shopping cart.
I was very patient when I explained that we couldn’t get the pink sparkly pencils with hearts on them because the teacher wanted yellow pencils (Mirado brand). My voice was beginning to waiver by the time I had a several minute discussion with my son about why he didn’t need the $109 graphing calculator for first grade. But the tension was noticeable by the time I found myself trying to rationally explain to my daughter I wasn’t going to buy a locker-style padlock for her backpack. I was teetering very close to the edge when I stated through gritted teeth that we were simply not going to purchase the desk sized disco ball complete with a battery operated strobe light.
Since I had not actually raised my voice and there weren’t tears on my face, I was under the assumption that I was successfully hiding my growing frustration. My illusion was broken when a very kind mom, who had wisely left her kids at home, came down the aisle. She must have been within earshot during the disco ball conversation because she gave me a knowing and kind smile as if to say: “You’re doing great. You can do this.”
At this point, I decided to cut my losses and rounded up my kids who were now shopping for laminating machines. I could come back another day for the two plastic pocketed folders with brads (yellow and purple) and the 11 x 7.5 inch clear pencil pouches (with a zipper closure). Ten minutes later as were walking through the parking lot, I picked up my cell phone to call my mom. I figured it wasn’t too late to apologize for all the havoc I must have caused her each fall when we shopped for my school supplies.
Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.
From Trike to Two Wheeler
Jennifer Gregory left Florida almost 11 years ago to escape the heat and enjoys living in a place where the seasons change. She lives in Youngsville, N.C., which she usually refers to as north of Wake Forest, and has been married to her husband for almost 10 years. As the mom of two kids and three dogs, her house is filled with lots of joyful noise and barking. Her daughter (7) is convinced that she will be a princess when she grows up and her son (5) has aspirations of being the next Dale Jr. After years of writing software documentation for various companies, she "retired" when her daughter was born to become a stay at home mom. Now that her kids are in school, she has finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. She spends her mornings as a freelance writer and her afternoons hanging out with her kids. The only things she misses about living in Florida are her friends and family, Publix fried chicken and going to Florida Gator football games.
Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.
Comments
I loved school shopping too. The smell of all the new pencils, etc. Loved it. I personally will never forget my Trapper Keeper with little orange kittens on it.
Semi-related - that Staples commercial with the dad dancing through the aisles to "It's the most wonderful time of the year" cracks me up whenever I see it.
Sarah, That is a funny commerical. That's funny that you remember your Trapper Keeper. LOL, I haven't heard that term in forever. I also will never forget these velvet red pencils that I had.
I had an opposite experience helping my son buy supplies a few weeks ago. He was very focused on making sure we got EXACTLY what was on his list. He became very concerned when they were all out of one thing he needed. Fortunately, we were able to pick that up at a nearby Office Max.
School supplies always make me think of Trapper Keepers, not really sure why. I guess it's just a funny name. What I mostly remember from elementary school though was having crayon-envy. My mom would only get me the min. 16-crayon box from the list while many classmates had those big 64 boxes with sharpeners on the back. It makes me kind of glad teachers give out more specific lists now.
Don't forget to buy extra supplies. It never fails that about half-way through the school year, my kids need a restock of just about everything. I'm buying several of the cheap supplies so I don't have to pay nearly $3 for a box of crayons in January!
And I loved my Trapper Keepers although I don't remember ever having a really cute one.
Amanda, that is funny that your son was the opposite as my kids.
Baby_blue215, that is a GREAT idea. I had never thought of doing that. If I get up enough nerve to venture back into the school supply section before everything goes off sale (without my kids, lol) then I will pick up some extras. I had to spend a fortune last winter also on Glue Sticks and crayons that they ran out of.
My daughter isn't even in school, but I also stocked up at Target the other day for crayons, glue and other crafty stuff. I was going to buy her a pack of 64 crayons about two months ago and couldn't believe the price: $5.99!
I got the box for around $3 on sale the other day. I might even go back and get some stuff for stocking stuffers this Christmas. The colored pencils are calling my name.
School is fun. But this place is not as safe as we thought it is. Heather Zeo is a name that will live in infamy. Despite the numerous times where a perpetrator has gone to jail, Heather Zeo it was her turn to pull a Mary Kay Letourneau and do something which anyone knows is wrong. It seems Mrs. Zeo (turns out she's married, and has children) contacted the boys she had the most inappropriate of relationships with on Facebook, as they were students of hers at North Penn High School, and when it was discovered, she got handcuffed – and maybe some payday loans for a lawyer. The prosecutors will be asking for prison time, so Heather Zeo will need some big payday advance loans for an attorney.