To sodding hate book bags

[Gileswithachainsaw]

They never last dd2s is getting a hole in the corners on top of the Velcro starting to fail meaning as soon as you put the water bottle in the flap just comes open when you carry it.

She's going to need a new one for September on top of the new uniform and shoes and they can't have a bag til juniors. For an extra few quid I could by a decent quality back pack and get a couple of years or more out of it. All dd1s back packs have lasted well. Instead I'm replacing the book bags with another book bag that won't last...

They are such a sodding waste of money... Grrrr

Absolutely. In year one they've been given a plastic wallet for the books to go in, I'm not sending in a separate bag just for a water bottle!

Oh no, the teachers must love me the trade off is that we are all less stressed when we arrive at school...

Water bottles are leak-proof so we have had no spoiled books yet.

With regards to the junk mail, the school usually get paid to distribute it. Sucks that they need the cash.

A mini backpack for lunches and water bottles is the way forward. They can't argue if you say the back pack is the lunchbag.

Well if allowed back packs lunch box could go in it. Hands free for water bottles then..... Just saying...

I expect mine to put their coats and jumpers in at home time if they are not wearing them home. Same with P.E bags at beginning/end of term, so a backpack is the only thing large enough.

A reception sized child can carry a full back pack but can't really manage a jumper, a coat, book bag, pe kit and water bottle all separately and still have a spare hand to give me to cross the road safely!

Precisely. Mine comes out struggling to hold her book bag water bottle jacket jumper and lunch bag. Be so much easier if she could shove it all in the bag and be done with it.

Haven't had read all the thread, in the middle of making tea but DC2 has one of these style bags, which are big enough to put the bookbag inside it, so she still has her bookbag.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=messenger+bag+star+wars&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&imgil=RIaPakocOeW5FM%253A%253Bf6g8rpeXghlXiM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.truffleshuffle.co.uk%25252Fstore%25252Fstar-wars-a-new-hope-retro-messenger-bag-p-7033.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=RIaPakocOeW5FM%253A%252Cf6g8rpeXghlXiM%252C_&usg=__Q3K2JUP17Zz-jvVbRF1w5KR0unc%3D&biw=1920&bih=951&ved=0ahUKEwjmp8Hvv7nNAhUBLcAKHdVqBFcQyjcIWw&ei=0mVpV-b2IoHagAbV1ZG4BQ#imgrc=RIaPakocOeW5FM%3A

It's lovely Gileswithachainsaw I was thinking about buying myself a massive tote bag to carry all of their stuff and then realised how ridiculous that was! now I walk out of the gate pretty much hands free.

Watch out for the upturned turtle pic in September

Oh, and just to add, our bookbags are £3.99 and they're waterproof, most kids at our school walk or bus it to school.

do your kids go the same school as mine OP coz I swear I've just had the same rant to my mum haha

We have a backpack and put the book bag in it, easier to carry water too and anything else they might need. I think that's problem solved - you are welcome MN.

Disclaimer: a bit tongue in cheek but it does work for us.

Yanbu. I refused to use them after a few weeks of reception and brought rucksacks. They're better for posture and I can get my hand and arm through the straps when I'm holding them.

We have acquired cartables from my DC's godfather (who lives there)

The school don't, mind as they're the same size as book bags, and our son has had his since foundation and he's in yr 5.
The one my daughter has atm
www.edisac.com/cartable-1-compartiment-tanns-04poca35-498/1

I was eavesdropping awesome

I'm kind of fascinated by the myriad combinations of bags and individual school requirements. You always assume everyone does it the same.

We have a (Tesco, embroidered) book bag for books and other reading stuff, letters home and a backpack for spare clothes, water, lunch. Ds's backpack isn't big enough to get his bookbag in but others are - I've seen some backpacks come down to a child's ankles I'm determined not to get a new one till yr 1 though.

One mum resisted the bookbag and uses a ziplock in the backpack. She's my idol

Hate them with a passion as fierce as this EU referendum drums up 😀

Our school insists on them for the whole school from 4 to 11. DS brings home so many books each day (avid reader of several books at a time) that the bag never fastens and that is before the water bottle, jumper he's discarded half way through the day and his homework. And he's only in y4 his jumpers and books are only going to get bigger.

Also not allowed to customise with badges etc, so they all look identical I have lost count of how many times they have come home with someone else's bag.......only amazed it hasn't happened more tbh!

Ah. We bought a book bag for reception and it fell apart. Then they introduced school backpacks, but DH decided too late that he wanted one for DS - they had sold out.

So I bought a bargain heavy duty Barghaus one and explained to DS that it was super cool and way better than the ones all his mates had .

It has actually lasted several years and been great for loads of clobber and sports kit.

If there was a rule about no non-school backpacks, it went right over my head.

Is it against the rules for your dc to have a rucksack. The book bags we got from school were different from most. It had a full flap that covered the front of the bag and closed by 'twisty things' I can't remember the name haha!
From y1 onwards a few children brought their own rucksacks and from y2 most of them had their own.

We found we had to go to the right shop. One uniform shop the bags were awful but the other they were really good quality and still only about £6.

Got a bookbag for DS in reception and he is in year 1 now and it is still in good condition despite him putting his jumper, coat, books, bottle, random things and homework in it. He has it over a backpack as it's easier for him to manage.

Our school is good for that though tbh they prefer logo jumpers but technically nothing logoed is compulsory at all.

DDs school uses book bags like this one: school-shop.co.uk/ricc16_navy_book_bag_with_shoulder_strap_riccall_cp_school *

It is wide enough for a plastic folder for books, drinks bottle, snack pot and a cardigan. With the added bonus of having no velcro (it has plastic clips on the front panel) and a shoulder strap.

She was given one when she started in reception and still looks good as new (at the end of year 2). TBH, I wouldn't have bought a replacement for next term if the school hadn't changed their logo.

(*the school in the link is not my DDs school BTW!)

Jolinda Tue 21-Jun-16 18:32:13

Also not allowed to customise with badges etc, so they all look identical I have lost count of how many times they have come home with someone else's bag.......only amazed it hasn't happened more tbh!

I can't believe I have forgotten to put in a yanbu
yanbu
yanbu
yanbu

love the Tesco book bags