First time K parent. When to start school supply shopping?

[Anonymous]

A little overwhelmed by the idea to begin with , but want to get my little guy prepared. What is the best time to start? What should I let him pick and what should I just get for less fuss factor? Best store ideas?

[Anonymous]

It's July 8. Go take him to the pool and slow down. You can figure this one out. No need to crowd source how to buy school supplies...

[Anonymous]

I've already purchased all of my kids school supplies. It makes for a less stressful August. Target has them already.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget to double check your school's supply lists. Lots of schools now require you to buy certain things and then they are pooled for all the kids to share as opposed to your own child supplying only his own things. Lots of threads on this.

[Anonymous]

Buying school supplies is the least of my worries. Figuring out how I am going to survive the trials and tribulations of homework for the next 13 years is at the top of my list of things to stress about. I'd like to rewind the clock by 4.5 years.

[Anonymous]

I only send my kids to school on the first day with a backpack, lunchbox, pen/pencil and notebook to write things down with. We do school supply shopping the afternoon of the first day of school.

[Anonymous]

You don't already have your school supplies? Your kid is destined to fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buying school supplies is the least of my worries. Figuring out how I am going to survive the trials and tribulations of homework for the next 13 years is at the top of my list of things to stress about. I'd like to rewind the clock by 4.5 years.

FWIW, I didn't have my kid do ANY homework in kindergarten beyond "bring in something for show and tell" or things like that, and in first grade, didn't allow any more than 15 minutes each day for homework. Nothing bad happened. My kid still learned.

[Anonymous]

So love that we are at a Title 1 school that supplies ALL school supplies.

I purchase tissues and hand sanitizer.

[Anonymous]

We usually go to Target in the first couple of weeks of August. Too early and the sales aren't going yet. Too late and the supplies are picked over.

Remember that many (most?) of kindergarten supplies are shared in the classroom by all the kids, at least at our MCPS school. In those cases, I wouldn't get him too invested in them item. Instead, he might want to help you pick out things that would be helpful at home and aren't on the school list (e.g. a pencil sharpener).

[Anonymous]

Yes everything was pooled in DC's class. The school sent a list out along with teacher assignments in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buying school supplies is the least of my worries. Figuring out how I am going to survive the trials and tribulations of homework for the next 13 years is at the top of my list of things to stress about. I'd like to rewind the clock by 4.5 years.

FWIW, I didn't have my kid do ANY homework in kindergarten beyond "bring in something for show and tell" or things like that, and in first grade, didn't allow any more than 15 minutes each day for homework. Nothing bad happened. My kid still learned.

Oh I hear you sister. I am pretty anti-homework in the early grade-school days, and will not be shy about letting my opinion be known. But 13 years is a long slog. I have a sister and SIL who are CONSTANTLY complaining about the amount of homework and the struggles of getting kids to do it, and I harbor no illusions that my kid can be homework free forever. So yeah, my mourning period has begun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So love that we are at a Title 1 school that supplies ALL school supplies.

I purchase tissues and hand sanitizer.

I work in a Title One school and I wish this was the case at our school. Out of a class of 25 kids, half of them might bring in most/all of the supplies. The rest either bring nothing or a pack of pencils.

[Anonymous]

For K - we only had to supply a backpack and crayons. The school provided everything else. Yes an MCPS elem school. I waited for the list from the school before buying anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've already purchased all of my kids school supplies. It makes for a less stressful August. Target has them already.

how do you know what you are required to buy? did you get the list from school already?