School book bag rage

[pieceofpasta]

Does anyone else really hate school book bags? I realise we're probably in the minority walking to school but it drives me mad every day having to carry every item separately (no bag other than the book bag allowed) while juggling water bottles, school shoes (because it's so wet he needs wellies) etc and a 3 year old. I'm sure if you're only walking to a car is doesn't matter but these bloody book bags don't even have a cross body strap and the velcro constantly opens spilling the paper contents into the massive puddles everywhere. Because of a lack of a proper bag lb has left his wellies at school which means on Monday he'll get wet feet on the way to school. I really think in bad weather only rucksacks are sensible. We have tried giving him a plastic bag with the other things; the bag doesn't come back (because they don't want multiple bags) and I only have a handful of plastic bags now. Why do they make walking to school so hard! (I'm mainly pissed off about the leaving the wellies at school which is mainly my husbands fault). Lol 😨

[Bluewavescrashing]

I bring a huge bag for life to school and shove the bookbag in it, plus lunchbox, coat etc if needed.

[Worriedmum1511]

Put it all in a backpack

[Elbeagle]

Ours have cross body straps. Plus I have a 10 month old in a pushchair so they chuck all their other crap in there!

I realise we're probably in the minority walking to school

The vast majority walk at my DC’s school.

[pieceofpasta]

We're not allowed

[TarquinGyrfalcon]

Schools have very limited storage space - I would imagine the no extra bag rule is in place because of this. Up to thirty rucksacks per class (usually empty, or brimming with stuff the children don't need) are a pain to deal with.

Can you carry a rucksack with all of your child's things in it for the walk and then at school unload them for him/her? You could then take the now empty rucksack home and do the same when you pick them up.

[TooStressyTooMessy]

I absolutely hate them too. As do most parents and kids in the school. Thankfully from year 3 onwards the book bags are never to be seen again as rucksacks are encouraged which means the kids can actually carry their own stuff and a water bottle.

I agree with Bluewaves, the key is to carry a bag for life.

[Fruitteatime]

My daughter has a ruck sack and a book bag. She still left her wellies at school the other day. Her book bag has never come open in the last year, are yours particularly weak velcro or is it an old one? Also I don't carry it, dd does. Then I have less to juggle!

[dementedpixie]

We never had book bags at our school. I'm glad as they seem very impractical

[SeaViewBliss]

But you can use the big fir life just to be from and take it all out when you arrive at school

[TooStressyTooMessy]

The velcro always fails on our school ones too.

[KnifeAngel]

You take a big bag and unload the items at the school playground. They can't stop you doing that.

[Lunafortheloveogod]

Take it in a back pack and take the back pack with you?

I don’t get how 30 back packs in a room with 30chairs or 30 coat hooks is a struggle.. we all survived fine bag either went over your chair or on your peg in the younger classes.

[CheshireDing]

We walk and the school book bags are shit YANBU. No crossbody strap here either

I bought mine children’s rusksacks from m and s this year (they are now in year 1 and 3), it’s a million times better now as I have a 3 year old to walk

It’s primary school, what’s really going to happen if you send them with a new sensible bag 🤷‍♀️ Stupid school making it compulsory

[sosoverytired]

I bought a metal popper kit from amazon and put poppers on it. It doesn't fall open anymore.

[TooStressyTooMessy]

Ooh I like the popper idea!

[forgivemeimnew]

We don’t have book bags, we have the PE type bag - they are a bloody nightmare, I can’t tell you how many times my children/I have tripped on the long strings they are a hazard. I am envious of the other nearby school that has book bags, always look so neat and accident free. It seems the grass isn’t always greener, maybe I should be grateful of the pump bag - would bloody love it if they could take a back pack though.

[Ribbityrib]

What a ludicrous rule. It may be inconvenient for kids to bring rucksacks but they are hardly an optional extra! All sorts of things create inconveniences, that's just part of running a school! May as well ban lunch because the kids drop food on the floor, or indeed the kids themselves on the grounds they make too much noise.

[TooStressyTooMessy]

forgiveme, I think you win. A PE style bag to carry each day would indeed be a nightmare.

[MoltoAgitato]

What on Earth do people bring to school that needs a rucksack in KS1? Our water bottles stay in school Monday - Friday, PE kit stays there for a half term. Book bag literally has reading book, reading log and (once a week) library book. Only difference is in summer term when swimming kit goes to and fro twice a week.

[Ribbityrib]

Lunchbox, fruit snack, water bottle (ours don't stay in school), and by the end of the day, usually a cardigan as well. And yes, swimming once a week. Quite enough to fill a rucksack....

[dementedpixie]

Cant you understand other schools may work differently to yours? Mine took pe kit in on pe days and water bottles went home daily.

[bowchicawowwow]

I used to bring a bag for life to school pick up and drop off to chuck all the water bottles, lunchboxes and book bags in.

[HyggeHeart]

I clipped one of theses to the strap for the bottle www.trunki.co.uk/collections/accessories-spares/products/holster-pink but yes I hated the book bags too!

[Elbeagle]

Water bottles come home daily to be washed here.
PE kits only come home half termly.
Mine come home with their cardigans stuffed in their book bags every day.
Mine also come home with letters/cards from friends, DD1 in reception also has multiple craft projects stuffed in hers. Probably not enough to fill a rucksack but the book bag is overflowing.
Ours aren’t allowed to put water bottles in book bags though in case they leak on the books.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

I agree that:
a) seems a stupid rule
b) bung it in a bag/rucksack and load/unload in playground.