Anonymous wrote:This will last through middle school -- unless your kids are extra tough on it...
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/62209?feat=816-GN1&page=deluxe-book-pack-print&csp=f&attrValue_0=Periwinkle%20Sky%20Chevron

Bags are a fashion statement for the kids. That LL Bean bag is ugly but practical, I wouldn't buy it for myself or kids. Kids get teased about their backpacks BTW. I let my kids pick whatever backpack color theme each year, but I wouldn't buy the $100+ bags until they were in older and they understood it would only be replaced if it wore out - which took years.

In ES, we always by a fresh bag because the kids are into different themes and they wear out and get dirty.

In JH or HS, we usually buy a new one, or by the better brand like Herschel bags, which hold up better.

I also buy new purses for myself every season at least once a year.

I teach at a Title 1 school and most of the kids come in with new backpacks every year. It is a waste because I'd say a good half of my class has to buy another backpack partway through the year because the crappy one broke.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buying new character backpacks each year is for the poors.

"the poors"?? SMH. what a douche!

NP here. I have no comment on people's income levels. Most people at my kids school are fairly affluent. I will say however that the PBK/LLBean monogrammed backpack crowd do tend to keep their items several years, whereas the random brand/bought at target/wherever people tend to replace yearly. At my school it is not an income thing. In fact I think its more of a Type A/Type B thing. The Type A's research the "best" backpack, have it monogrammed and buy the matching lunchbox. Then keep for several years until repeating the process. The Type B people literally go to Target for goldfish and come home with a new backpack for their kid.

Anonymous wrote:Buying new character backpacks each year is for the poors.

"the poors"?? SMH. what a douche!

Anonymous wrote:We always got new backpacks as kids. They were generally pretty beaten up by the end of the year. Buying a new one was part of the fun of back to school. And you're all acting all high and mighty about throwing out a backpack every year, but come on -- the demographic on this forum buys more useless shit, throws the most opulent parties with so much junk that gets throw out daily.... a backpack every year is nothing relative to all the junk you are all producing.

That said, my son has been using the same backpack for 3 years of preschool. It is in horrible shape right now so we'll be buying a new one for K, and I look forward to new ones in future years!

Exactly. Some of you are FoS. Like... "Oh, you buy you kid a new bookbag very year?! Oh, the horror". Cut the crap. I agree with PP- its part of the fun of back to school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you whose child used the same LLBean backpack for K-3 (or more than a year or two), which size did you buy?

We got the LL Bean Junior. We're in MoCo. The kids are not carrying anything in their backpack except their lunch boxes and a folder that comes home with homework, etc. No notebooks. They do get a recorder in 3rd grade, which fits in fine with the other stuff.

DC has a Discovery backpack: https://m.llbean.com/product.html?bc=32-305-511658&skCatId=83528&csp=a#83528
Right now they only have the butterfly one, but they usually have several designs (sharks, dinosaurs, flowers, etc)
They also have matching lunch bags.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do a new backpack and lunch box every 3 years. Ironically, the only kids I see with new bags every year tend to be lower-income kids, since it is more accessible to get a $10 bag every year than a $35 bag every three years.

You actually time it? Do you keep a calendar to know it's been three years?

How hard is it to remember that you buy a "big kid" backpack before kindergarten, and replace it in 3rd (when they start carrying more books), 6th (middle school), and 9th (high school)?

+1 for new backpack only when the former one wears out.

DD's get pretty heavy use (e.g. flight carry-on in addition to school bag) and I throw them through the washing machine pretty regularly, so for hers that tends to be something like every other year. I've gotten her last couple from HA because I happened to catch a really good sale and they had non-character ones in colors she liked. (Didn't want to saddle her with a character that she wouldn't like anymore by the time it wore out.)

For her first year in school I did the whole new this and that thing, but now spread out purchases and just get things when she needs them.

Both my kids have two high quality backpacks each from Jansport (Big Student Backpack), that have lasted them several years and still going strong.

I do wash the bags frequently enough that it looks fresh throughout the year.

My rising 1st grader (and my mom) were just talking about this. I always got new supplies every year, trapper keeper, lunch box, etc., though I don't remember every having a backpack. Now, school supplies are purchased in the spring as part of a kit, and my son has nothing to do with it. He wants a new backpack, and I'm actually partial to it because of the "new, shiny, back to school-ness," of it all. His PBK one is in fine shape and I was thinking I'd use it for travel, sports, etc. I agree it's wasteful, but I do understand the idea of wanting something new for back to school. I guess it's why we also buy some back to school clothes even though the summer season will be almost over. Where I grew up, we wore shorts until November, and it was easy to buy them in August!

My rising 5th grader is using the same backpack he got in 1st grade. It gets a wash in the machine at the end of every school year and as needed in between. It's still in great shape. He's going to need a bigger bag before it wears out. The lunch bag is taking more wear but still hanging in there. Both LLBean.

My kid has been using the same one for a few years, but I wouldn't be "in disbelief" that other kids get a new one every year. A new backpack at the beginning of the school year is not something to be shocked over.

Anonymous wrote:We do a new backpack and lunch box every 3 years. Ironically, the only kids I see with new bags every year tend to be lower-income kids, since it is more accessible to get a $10 bag every year than a $35 bag every three years.

You actually time it? Do you keep a calendar to know it's been three years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use them until they bite the dust. Definitely not an every year purchase.

Agree. DD used one from k-1st grade. We got another less babyish one for 2-3rd grade and got a rolling backpack half way through 3rd grade just because the amount of stuff she was carrying was insane, and way too heavy for a 50lb kid to carry on her back. The non-rolling backpack is now used for camp/travel, etc. and both will be used until no longer usable. Buying new backpacks and lunch boxes every year is wasteful.

OT, but what was your 3rd grader carrying to and from school? I'm the PP who said her 3rd grader never brought anything home.