Just use masking tape and a sharpie. This isn't rocket science...

Anonymous wrote:Holy overthinking. First and last name.

+1000

Last name on the inside tag. Our last name is unique so it's clear enough, and we can use for hand-me-downs also.

First name Last name. Usually where the label goes inside the collar. I have an only. My brother has 3 kids. He does all 3 initials then last name. So every label says ABC Smith.

I have never put a label on my kids' cloths, and they have never been lost.

I use a sharpie and put my kid's initials on whatever label is in the clothes (eg, clothing care label).

Best practice in terms of getting the *kid* back is probably teaching them your phone number. We taught our kids in a little song. Would that work for you?

I have my business card with my cell number tucked into the back of my kid's wallet that he uses to carry his metropass and a bit of emergency cash. You could do the same with a backpack.

For winter clothing, we write names on, but I also routinely check the lost and found. We also had a targeted campaign of *learning* to remember things, with a sticker chart and a reward at the end of it (we did 6 weeks, with a target of not forgetting for more than 3 days), which was very helpful for habit building.

I do first and last name on labels. I only put labels on the inside of their belongings so no one can see them anyway and it’s a tiny iron-on mabels label so no one could see their name to call to them from far away anyway. Sometimes people in the school have the same last name or first name as your kid, so I haven’t found using only a first or last name to work for us.

We do first name last initial because last name is so long it makes the writing too tiny to read.

Last name only. However, that does not always help. When my son was in kindergarten, his expensive north face winter coat went missing at the beginning of winter. I found it in the lost and found in late spring. Somebody obviously use the coat all winter. Fortunately, we could afford a second winter coat so my son did have a coat himself all winter. But it was quite disappointing.

I always write my son's full name in a hidden spot as well as on the tag. This way, if someone cuts off the tag, I still have proof that the item belongs to my child. I learned this the hard way.

Anonymous wrote:Holy overthinking. First and last name.

Some things are worth overthinking. You shouldn’t do that if you are going to use the label in a conspicuous place.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/use-caution-when-labeling-kid-items-617176

Also my child has special needs and rides two buses. Plus his preschool has an “aggressive” outdoor policy and they go out in snow, which means I buy high quality (read-expensive) gear for him, and I really do want it returned.

I always put last name only bc my second kid uses a lot of his older brother’s stuff as hand me downs. My kids would think someone calling him by his last name is weird so I felt no safety concern. People don’t return items (I’m assuming they do return kids, but I never lost one) so any identifying mark works for retrieval from lost and found.

Holy overthinking. First and last name.

Badly in need of clothing labels with the onset of winter. What has been the most useful and safe as far as info on the label? First Name and last initial only? First initial and last name ? Include a phone number? Looking for best practices for getting item back if lost, getting kid back if lost, and ensuring item does not become a safety hazard (stranger sees Larlos name on backs ack/lunchbox and can yell out “hey Larlo” and Larlo comes over or trusts stranger).