Tommy Tiernan (a well know Irish comedian) does a fantastic sketch of a ninja-like Irish Mammy hiding in the cupboard awaiting her young ones’ return home from school. The children are clearly refusing to follow the mother-ship’s insistance of putting their school bag in the appropriate spot . Like all good Irish Mammies –Tommy’s using her sixth ‘not under my roof’ sense, the mere second of the bag hitting the tiles immediately has the Mom flying out of the press – with blood curdling screams yelling: “Don’t throw your bag on the floor!” This hilarious re-enactment of something we can all relate to, is my inspiration for my next topic in my back to school series. The school bag!
This dude usually gets a bit of bad press because of his perceived weight and ability to resemble infinite abysses. Hope a few of my school bag hacks or good old-fashioned tips will shed some much needed light and restore order in the school bag realm.
- Whose bag is it anyway?
First off – the bag belongs to your child. Yes unfortunately whether we like it or not – kids need to pack, organise and carry it. I often have to resist the urge to intervene in the morning or evening when bringing my class to or from the line and I witness parents (resembling bell boys from a swanky hotel) carrying school bags for kids or picking up bags flung in their direction. One parent admitted to me that she felt pressure to carry her child’s bag because all the other parents were doing it. I can assure you going against the mould with this one will do your child no harm but plenty of good. I know one might argue that bags are heavy, but to give teachers and schools their due we have worked really hard to reduce the amount of materials going home. Just make sure that both straps of the rucksack are worn and adjusted appropriately for the child.
- Organisation
My first recommendation here in terms of books is big guys to the back. The bag should resemble the steps of the stairs when your little one is done. Obviously this might take time for your child to master but when their homework is complete I would make sure they prepare their bag for the next day. Adults should take a back seat with this one too and don’t try “fixing” anything.
Location, Location, Location :
Often I get questions about kids struggling to find a certain book and matching copy. I have one ultimate solution that has revolutionized the anarchy that may lay in the school bag. I colour code top, bottom and ‘fore edge’ of the book and copy according to subject with a different colour. For example the Maths book and copy have an orange top and fore edge in the pictures below. With just one glance in the bag one can quickly remove the required items in a jiffy.
Also I’m called for assistance when an item (“I’m sure my Mom packed it!”) can’t be located, so items such as mini folders are a godsend in this case for holding worksheets or items that need to be kept together. Of course certain sheets have to be held on to but just make sure to do a clearout of these once in a while. Speaking as someone who has found lines from the Christmas play in May – that’s just taking up good room and not paying any rent!!
Sticky tabs are great to help a child remember where in their homework journal or readers they are if they’re not quite used to dates and page numbers. Also for any notes that school sends home, a great hiding place of mine is in that day’s page of their school journal. Thus the minute they open up this page – hurray the note has arrived safely to its destination!
3. I’m always on the “pencil case”
Listen I’m the first to admit in my profession most of us are self-confessed stationary addicts….the mere smell of a crisp new note pad and the inklings of a fresh pen is enough to send us into a spin. The difference is that as a thirty year-old woman I’ve learned to harness my addiction and have the motor skills to seek out that gold sharpie with aplomb, while alot of kids are still figuring the HB from the Junior Grip. We all know that stationery creatures live in a pencil case, but shopping for that pencil case can actually be harder than it looks, with an array of colours, themes and materials to choose from. It’s totally down to what the child likes and is comfortable with but I’ve included here some of my favourites.
See-through ones can be so handy in order for your little one to check if they have got everything.
Rubber material ones are quite durable and I just love these Monster style ones from Easons.
I’m a huge fan of the double zip as ones are great for keeping items separate and super easy to locate.
My pencil case mantra is just bring the essentials. Most book lists will state the required stationery items, and you shouldn’t feel any need to go beyond that list. For Junior Infants to 1st Class the rule of thumb is two pencils ( I’m partial to the grips – nothing like a little comfort), sharpener, eraser plus some colours. Twistables make a great alternative from pencils –a paring free environment is what teacher dreams are made of.
Also I’m a sucker for these MILAN eraser and sharpener combos. A great little space saver in the pencil case.
From 2nd to 6th Class I’d add a few pens along with the previous items. It’s totally normal for a child to have a favourite pen (glittery watermelon-scented pens are all the rage) but keep the sacred items to a minimum. I do also love these Pilot Frixon Ball pens with an eraser on top – this bad boy rubs out the most stubborn of ink without ripping your copy.
Ultimately school bag packing is like carry-on luggage – don’t over-pack, make sure everything is easy to find, and once you do it right once it will be hard to find yourself packing any other way. I hope you enjoyed unzipping a few school bag tips and hints with me. Make sure to check out my other posts in the Back to School series, and if you have any queries or comments please drop me a line in the box below.
Slán,
Julianne
Cradle to the Class 