Lessons I Learned from Back-to-School Shopping
Six tips on what to buy before the start of the academic year.
Welcome to So Many Thoughts, a semi-weekly newsletter about royal style and the other parts of life I want to think through with you. You can subscribe here and follow me on Instagram at @EHolmes. Thank you!
If you’re wondering how it’s going over here…Oliver really wanted a piñata for his recent birthday party. Which, ok! I was game. But in my attempt to diversify the contents beyond candy, I added tiny plastic jars of bubbles to the mix.
Yep. I put bubbles. In a piñata. With candy. 🥴 Can you picture the mess? Sigh. Live and learn!
Below you will find more lessons I learned the hard way: Six tips from the trenches of back-to-school shopping. If you are thinking: Elizabeth, it’s July, I would say: I know. Although I believe in my bones that school should start after Labor Day, I happen to live in a part of the country where it begins much earlier. As in mid-August! Our local Target has been stocked with school supplies for more than a month.
But mostly: Calling all teachers. I would like to help you clear your list before school starts. Please send me an email at Hello@SoManyThoughts.com with the subject “List” and a link to your supply list. I’ll share as many as I can on Instagram in the hopes we can get you well stocked before the school year starts.
Looking to help now? Click here to help the teachers of Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, clear their supply lists before school starts.
Six Things to Think About When Back-to-School Shopping
Sweet six-year-old Fitzgerald, headed back to school last year with a backpack bigger than he is.
Last year was our first real back-to-school shopping moment as a family. In the pandemic, our oldest, Fitzgerald, did all-virtual kindergarten. I still bought some school stuff—I absolutely cannot resist the rush of new school supplies—but none of it was really put to the test because it all stayed at home.
In-person first grade last year was a welcome change. Elementary school is, understandably, a big step up from pre-school. Kids are given more agency and autonomy, which is great. And, I learned, a few things can help them—and us parents—with the transition.
We are getting ready to send two kids off to elementary school in just a few weeks, with Oliver starting kindergarten. Meep! Where does the time go? Below are the lessons I am keeping in mind as I shop for both my boys.
(Note: Our public school in Los Angeles provides the kids with pencils, notebooks, folders, etc. So what follows is mostly gear, like lunch boxes.)
Buy the bigger backpack. I really agonized over what size backpack to buy last year. The backpack-to-child ratio on the larger size just looked so big. What could a first grader possibly need to carry? I wondered. But on the recommendation of another mom, we went with the large size and I am so glad we did. The amount of stuff that kids end up carting home, especially with after-school activities, is more than you might think. And while most (or all) of it probably could fit in a smaller size, I promise you it’s easier on your kiddo to have that extra space.
Click to shop: Pottery Barn Kids Large Back Pack (the combo of quality and designs at can’t be beat)
Why is filling these little slots each morning so very satisfying?!
Don’t resist the fancy lunch boxes. I did! For months. I thought we absolutely did not need the special boxes with those little compartments. I was very happy to work with the hodgepodge of plastic containers that we had on hand. But let me tell you, those little containers with individual lids were a lot for me and a lot for Fitz. Spills, galore. Not to mention cleaning them all every night was a bummer. At some point in the year, we bought three of the Bento Box-style lunch boxes. An ah-ha! moment if ever there was one. Each morning, as I’m sleepily assembling lunches, it reminds me how much they need. Not to mention the satisfaction I get from placing it all in there.
Click to shop: Bentgo Boxes (they are holding up beautifully and we will continue to use this year), which I put inside a Pottery Barn Kids Cold Pack Lunch Box
This water bottle has more than withstood the kid test.
Look for a water bottle that keeps the germs out and the cold in. In my seven years of motherhood, I feel as though I have tried every water bottle style under the sun. All this unofficial market research has taught me to look for two key features: a covered straw and insulation. The straw bit feels more important in COVID times, to minimize germs as much as possible. And insulation is a big bonus here in always-warm Southern California. The ice we put in each morning will keep things cold throughout the day. Pro-tip: Consider buying an extra one to have on hand, as a water bottle was the first thing Fitz lost.
Click to shop: Thermos Funtainer Water Bottle (solid character designs and you can replace not just the internal straws but the drinking one, too)
Stick with easy-to-fasten clothes and shoes. A new school year can be overwhelming to even the most confident of kiddos. My advice is to make the things they wear as fool-proof as possible. (I loved this video from @BusyToddler on Instagram about getting dressed as kindergarten prep.) Do I wish for a dressier chino short with a button closure for the first day? Yes. Do I instead go with drawstring shorts so they don’t have to fiddle in the potty? Also yes. Same with shoes. Skip the laces, go with Velcro. Also, I stick with sneakers to let my kids live their best run-around-the-playground life.
Click to shop: Velcro Stan Smiths (they stay cleaner than you’d think), Keds Metallic Sneakers (Bird is on her fourth pair) and Gap’s pull-on shorts (the “dressiest” I’ve found)
Label everythingggg. And not just with your child’s name! But his or her room number, too, or another identifying detail—so important in our large public elementary school. We don’t get classroom assignments until just a few days before school starts, so the (adorable!) pre-made labels aren’t an option. Instead, I personalize some blank labels as well as write on waterproof tape. And I am happy to report that most—not all, but most—misplaced things found their way back home.
Click to shop: CHUBBIEE Waterproof Labels (which have stayed on longer than I thought possible) and the never-fail Scotch Waterproof Tape
Decide on your drop-off look. When I tell you I was not prepared for how much of school parent meet-and-greeting happens at drop off! Shoutout to the parents rocking PJs, I respect the hell out of that. Or the ones who are fully glammed and ready for the work day. The best I could do, and the best I felt, was with elevated sweats and this three-minute make-up routine. On days when I didn’t have even three minutes, I throw on some tinted moisturizer on and go.
Click to shop: Vuori Performance Jogger and Halo Crew (this set never wrinkles) and Saie Slip Tint (my favorite multitasker: moisturizer, sunscreen, and light coverage in one)
Do you have any back-to-school shopping tips? Please hit “Join the discussion” at the bottom of this email and share in the comments!
Note: I use affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!
Five Things To Check Out This Week
READ / Heather Tomko has compiled a list of books for Disability Pride Month, ranging from children’s titles to nonfiction memoirs. “It’s hard to put into words how important it is for disabled people to be represented in books – to feel seen in the things you’re reading,” Heather writes. “And for non-disabled people, reading about disabled characters, or reading about disability, can help broaden your understanding.” I adore Heather, she is the most fabulous follow! (The Heather Report and follow Heather on Instagram)
READ / From the Dept. of This Tracks: Heat makes people crabby. (SELF)
READ / I really needed this reframing of expectations versus reality, by fellow Bulletin newsletter writer Mari Andrew: “Perhaps it's the reverse of a bucket list: Not an aggressive conquest collection of Things I Want To Do, but a soft symphony of what has happened to me.” (Out of the Blue Newsletter)
WATCH / The opening montage Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons features my mentor, Teri Agins, summing up the brand’s approach: “Tits and glitz.” The three-part documentary is a horrifying summation of why the lingerie company, which was so defining in my youth, was so problematic—including tracing the CEO’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Hulu)
SHOP / I have been waiting for this perfect summer dress to go on sale and it finally has. Huzzah. Use code SHOPNOW. (J.Crew)
Teachers! Remember to send me a link to your school supply lists: Hello@SoManyThoughts.com. I’ll share here and on Instagram and we can get you ready for the start of school.
Have a great week, friends. I’ll see you back in your inboxes on Friday.
(Header photo via Getty Images)
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