Y7 starters bags??

[Pyjamatimenow]

Could anyone with a child going into y7 share what bags they’ve gone for? Particularly the girls?

Dd isn’t starting until end of next week so I’ve still got a few in my shopping cart.
https://shop.mango.com/gb/en/p/women/bags/shoppers/shopper-bag-with-double-handle_17053797?c=56&talla=99&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMAX+-+1WOMAN+-+BEST+SELLERS+-+GB&utm_campaignid=71700000114096186&utm_content=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19971246875&gbraid=0AAAAADpcxJhXEgmsQlNXrwa0cfLnm-h3L&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsyR5NCyjwMV6ZNQBh0feQhNEAQYASABEgKPU_D_BwE
https://www.stradivarius.com/gb/en/c0p451698318.html#colorId=001
www.lululemon.co.uk/en-gb/p/daily-multi-pocket-tote-bag-20l/148525767.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22800771828&utm_content=185685605907&utm_term=&cid=Google_SHOP_UK_NAT_EN_X_HYBRID_CATCH-ALL-TREATMENT_GEN_Y25_ag-SHOP_G_UK_EN_DM_X_GEN_NO_CATCH-ALL&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22800771828&gbraid=0AAAAADs7z2tjxCEZrGRGGh-4kVeHsQtFg&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwZyBr9GyjwMVbJlQBh2AZxXaEAQYASABEgLtTfD_BwE

Hello @Pyjamatimenow
Thanks for thread.
I'm repeating what I've said on the other thread, but I've bought DD an Eastpak backpack to start yr 7 with next week.
To me, this is practical and comfortable, as she will be lugging all sorts of stuff from classroom to classroom with her, all day every day, including PE gear, exercise books, stationary, and a laptop.
But yr 10 DS has told her all the girls there wear shoulder bags, not backpacks.
I said surely some girls wear backpacks. To which he looked blank and said "Nope, not one."
DD looked panicked by this announcement, as she wants to fit in at her new school.
So now I'm wondering whether I should keep or return the backpack!
But how do girls cope with shoulder bags when there's so much stuff to carry round all day?!

@Pyjamatimenow
I think you're definitely more on to secondary school girls trends than I am, looking at what you've posted.
The lululemon one will go down very well I think.

Of course she will have to have a bag not a rucksack, I never understand why mothers do this to the children they love so dearly. 😬

Your ds is very astute and clearly helpful why would you override his input and your dd's preference to fit but giving her a gender neutral backpack? It's all about fitting in those first few weeks.

I honestly am not sure a thread about bags will be useful as each school is different and the Nike backpack that is cool at school x could be a terrible idea and stick out like a sore thumb at school one mile down the road. Equally a Lululemon shoulder bag would be completely ridiculous at yet another school.

Listen to your ds and dd.

New Look has lots of shoulder school bags and not too expensive so if she doesn't like it a few weeks on, she can chose something else and still use the shoulder bag as a shopper.

@JulyBlue I think the same. The weird thing is that dd has had a backpack for a few years quite happily for school when she didn’t really need to carry a lot of stuff about and now we’re in the world of tote bags that will be cutting into her shoulder. From what I’ve seen tote bags are the thing around here. I’ve seen some with the longchamp ones but they are ££
Dd favours the mango one but I think the lululemon one will be more comfortable. I’m wary of spending a lot because I think she’ll change her mind and want something different which I’ll get her for her birthday which is in a couple of months. The upside is I’m in need of a bag myself so I’ll get her castoff

Black Nike rucksack. It’s ugly as hell (and well, frankly a bit chavvy for my tastes), but they all have them. Mine is going into Y8. We’ve been fighting this battle for a year. Everyone has a black Nike bag. I’ve bought 3 other very lovely bags, but no. Black Nike bag is where it’s at.

My DD is going into Y8 and I work in a secondary school. Very few girls have backpacks and if they do, it’s the Nike “just do it” bag.
Why on earth would she be carrying all that? Don’t they have lockers?

Nike backpack here too. Going into year 8 and thought she'd want the handbag like the others, but she said it's too impractical. She's v fashion conscious but the bag thing obviously doesn't worry her.

@TribeofFfive they don’t have lockers at our school

Black rucksack here- not a tote bag! Can be Nike but apparently they're now going out of fashion (according to y9 dn) ..... definitely individual to each school.

Oh god that’s annoying and inconvenient. They get issued one in Y7 at DDS school but her bag is big enough for the couple of books and pencil case needed before each “block” of lessons and she switches them at break.

What bags do her friends have?

DD's school don't have lockers. She has a pale blue north face bag. A lot of the girls have colourful backpacks, the boys black ones!

@TribeofFfive she’s only been in touch with a couple over the holidays and they have New look or River island bags
@YesTHATMum that sounds a lot more practical. I think it’s really area dependent what’s deemed ok

Get her a backpack. End of.
My 3rd daughter starts secondary next month, her 2 older sister's have always carried backpacks.

The amount they carry around all day, they also walk to and from school every day and then PE kits - it's a no brainer AND it's saved them from neck and shoulder aches which many of their friends and cousins complain of but, refuse to change their one shoulder handbag regardless.

I'd keep it as a 'this is what you need for three reasons' and move on. None of mine have ever been targeted because of it. But then they're confident girls and I've raised them with the understanding that fitting in isn't really the be all and end all, especially at the expense of your own physical wellbeing.

My 13 and 11 year old have this off Amazon. They picked it yesterday, £19.99 and it'll do exactly what they need.

DD is year 8 has an eastpack back pack. I think most of the girls have tote bags but DD has made a personality out of being ‘anti-cool’ and wouldn’t have a tote bag even if I offered one!!

I’m secretly pleased so that she doesn’t get a bad back.

My DD has always had a backpack, she had a Vans one for the first couple of years and then a Nike one when that wore out.

Haha! I love this. She sounds very cool regardless

We’re in southern Scotland and all the girls I see walking up to high school have backpacks.

I'm a secondary school teacher. Don't get her a tote. They are incredibly impractical, split open, and are really uncomfortable to carry. They are also a social marker of the girls who are in the 'popular' / 'mean girl' cliques, depending on your perspective and whether or not you are one of them.

@ThanksItHasPockets Jesus I’m glad you’re not a teacher at any of children’s school. Judgemental much?!
I would suggest letting her go with the one you’ve bought. Dd2 started Y7 and it’s something practical and similar but within a few months wanted a tote like the other girls.
It was important to fit in for her at that age so we went with it and got her the ridiculously expensive one she wanted. She now going into Y10 with it. Longchamp are expensive but they are pretty indestructible it’s served Dd well.
She isn’t mean but she does have friends.

You don’t know that I’m not, @troppibambini6. I can also assure you that it’s the kids themselves who place themselves in the tribes and merrily describe themselves as much. Having a tote is a marker of a particular group just like having a fjallraven kanken denotes a different one.

Does it bother you that your daughter and her friends are knackering their shoulders and setting up issues for the rest of their lives while the boys bomb around with backpacks?

Every school is different and they find their tribes too. I am a secondary teacher (and have a DS going into yr 9). Some girls are clearly the tote bag. Some have brightly coloured, patterned backpacks. Others have the Fjalraven (sp?) ones. Nobody bats an eyelid, they all do their own thing. I appreciate other schools may have far more pressure to fit in. DS goes to a different school to mine and never cared about clothes or fashion etc until he started secondary. He went with a funky Hype backpack then in no time was demanding a plain black Nike one!

Dd2 going into y7 has chosen a black Nike rucksack, dd1 going into y9 has bought a black Michael Kors shoulder bag ( Vinted!)

I think y7 do tend to have rucksacks to start with then go for shoulder bags from y8

Year 10 DD is reusing her rucksack from last year - an Amazon special - and has used a rucksack throughout. No lockers at her school either. Agree with PP that in her school tote bags are for a certain clique of girls (as they were when I was at school!). She often walks home which is a couple of miles so needs something comfortable.

This is interesting. She’s definitely not a mean girl and I think she just wants to feel grown up with the tote. She does have a rucksack which I only got her a few months ago from her sports hobby that’s very good quality. She’s not one for suffering for fashion so maybe she’ll change her mind!