Back to school, who is prepared? Or are you planning on spending the last week running around getting everything sorted! Our local uniform shop set a deadline for August 10th for orders, so we have had to be a little prepared. This year I am making the most of using second hand uniform to reduce costs, but as always there are still some things that need buying due to them being outgrown, or passed being used.
Back to school Uniform!
With Jack the only child wearing white shirts in the house, we have to buy new ones every time he outgrows them. I love M&S’s shirts as the quality is amazing for what you buy so they last. I have also had to buy him some new school trousers, however I can pass his old one’s onto his brother so they can last longer. Passing on good quality uniform lowers the back to school costs.
Shoes
For me shoes are so important for school children. They are worn for at least 6 hours a day straight and need to be fitted. We used to shop at Clarks, then recently we moved on to Treads School Shoes, however they recently went out of business. So this year is the first year in a long time we have had to search for decent school shoes. We have opted to measure at home and we brought their shoes from NEXT. They had a great selection of shoes in a range of sizes including half sizes and width too.
Backpack
The school bags the boys have used for the past couple of years are still looking great so we are reusing them this year. The boys have Smiggle bags due to previous collaborations with them, and for us they have been durable and fit everything they need. The bags have a fabulous designs which the boys love and come in collections, so you can buy matching lunchboxes/bottles etc. They are certainly eye catching and the boys have commented how comfortable they are wearing them. They can’t wait to wear them back to school for the new ter.
Bottles
The past couple of years the boys have been using a metal bottle for school. Perfect for the warmer weather as it all helps to keep their drinks cooler. Kleen Kanteen sent us one of their insulated Kid bottles for Arthur a couple of years back and is still used as his school bottle! Their bottles are made using BPA-free materials and designed especially for children. Arthur’s bottle is 355ml and has a chip resistant Klean coat finish. So it is 4 times more durable than other bottles. The bottles feature a double-wall vacuum insulation and teamed with the cap it ensures drink stay at their temperature for longer.
Lunch Bags
We are already huge fans of SMASH lunchboxes. They are the perfect size for the boys and can fit all their lunch tubs and food in! The Lunch bags feature Blue IQ Antibacterial lining. The internal lining has been engineered with a physical barrier to prevent food sticking or absorbing into it. It helps to prevent harmful bacteria staying on the lining and absorbing into food. Blue IQ Antibacterial lining also eliminates mould, mildew and bacteria. The designs are pretty awesome too! The boys love the football and can’t wait to take them back to school.
Stationery
With Jack starting secondary school, Stationery is one of the things we are starting to have to provide. Thanks to Ryman, Jack has been provided with a fab range of pens, highlighters and glue sticks to help keep him going. Ryman have a really affordable range of stationery available online from their website.
Coats
Arthur and Oliver will be so prepared with these fab coats from Tog24. The coats are fully waterproof with taped seams so the rain stays on the outside. The faux fur trim on the hood comes away easily using poppers, which the boys love! As it means they can have the faux fur trim when its colder outside to help keep them warmer.
I love that the coats feature reflective strips so they can be seen when it starts to get darker in the winter months too.
My Magnetic Daily Calendar
My Magnetic Daily Calendar from Melissa & Doug is perfect to keep track of the days for younger children, or those due to start school. With over 80 magnetic pieces covering days of the week, months, numbers, weathers as well as feelings, holidays and activities it is a fab visual reminder for children. For children it’s great at introducing concepts such as past, present and future by introducing yesterday, today and tomorrow as well as being a discussion point for talking about feelings. I can’t wait to introduce this to my pre-schoolers.
and that’s it! Everything from coats to shoes, bags to bottles and even a mobile phone for secondary school starters! Hopefully this has helped you become more prepared for your children to return to school!
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