backpacks in secondary school

[Boudicca55]

My daughter is at secondary school and is being teased (bullied?) because she does not have a certain type of backpack...which costs a lot of money£70. I just can't afford it and even if I could, I reaally object to some other cirls dictating what kind of backpack I should buy for my child. COMMENTS PLEASE.

I get all this crap they just "neeeed" off eBay

Yep, I've gone a long way on getting DD better stuff, but second hand. Although eBay isn't as good as it once was.

pokes head out What do you mean about judging future attainment. Are you equating ability to afford a good bag with academic success? Scruffy bags meaning difficulties? Or more style?

If it's anything like DD's school, the handbag squad invariably turn up to lessons without half the necessary equipment as it doesn't hold all the stuff that they need (no lockers either). So invariably they end up in detention.

So us getting a kanken doesnt mean she'll be judged badly by teachers (or when we had a cheap one- we usually are the poor relations at a relatively wealthy school)... just checking! It seems a minefield to me.

@LolaSmiles

2 things, DD paid a bit more and bought the one with padded straps (she has the laptop version), as she carries so much stuff that the web straps weren't as comfy (her school has no lockers).
The other thing is the bags do get scruffy looking fast, (DD's is mustard coloured which doesn't help). But it remains robust, no holes and straps and stitching still intact. Mine is 25yrs old, it was an emergency buy when my bag collapsed whilst I was in Sweden. Still going strong, but I rarely use it now.

Most schools round here have a branded school backpack or they are allowed to carry a plain black backpack, but nothing with obvious logos. Some people have complained that they have had to buy a particular one, but it does mean this shit doesn't happen.

(Although this does mean watches, pencil cases, phone cases and hairstyles are the only areas of self expression allowed and as such seem to have more angst attached than is necessary.)

I guess school branded backpacks are going to come with their own issues. In that, official branded items sadly tend to come with a hefty price tag. Maybe not £70, but generic backpacks (and branded second hand ones from eBay) are going to be more affordable for many.

I bought my kanken backpack off eBay. My son has a real one and you cannot tell the difference at all. I think I paid about £9/£10 for it.

DD's school tries very hard to limit essential logoed things, because they have a catchment that includes a lot of vulnerable kids. The only thing they have to buy from the school is a badge for the blazer, tie and PE kit. The PE kit is an expensive pain though. They are discussing backpacks atm though, mainly to ensure pupils are bringing everything to school that they need. There isn't a huge amount of peer pressure over bags. There's an array of sports rucksacks, handbags, Kankens (and similar) and the kids who refuse to fetch a bag and the put the bare minimum in their blazer pockets.
Trainers are more of a problem.

Don’t let your daughters carry heavy handbags over one shoulder. My right shoulder is half an inch lower from carrying heavy tote bags of books through school and university. No one had backpacks for books in the Eighties.

Think it has always been thus...

Sadly if someone is the target of bullies... Even WITH the popular expensive backpack... These bullies will just find something else to focus on... It happened to me (not about bags....). Two of my bullies came to me for jobs years later.... I took great cold revenge in turning them down.

Luckily at my school... Green army surplus satchels were the bag to have... 60p in surplus store 👍👍

Luckily at my school... Green army surplus satchels were the bag to have... 60p in surplus store 👍👍

Customised with Tip-Ex!

We had so much less to carry though, most of my stuff stayed safe in my desk at school.

My dp were so against anything “fashionable” I wasn’t allowed a Head bag like everyone else or the “in” sweatshirts or jeans or trainers. My whole life age 13 was about hiding my crappy stuff. I did the same to myself as a student buying the cheapest or most “practical” stuff. I actually had no idea until I was way into my late 20s how nice it felt to have a bag or shoes or clothes I actually actively liked and made me feel good. I look back at photos of myself as a young adult and cringe still at how crappy I looked.

We had lockers as 6th formed and desks to leave things in when I was at school so only carried what was needed for the next lesson.We did have hefty text books though.
When my daughter hit secondary school she wanted the same bag as others but that fad went out quite quickly.She sourced satchels off eBay and still prefers them to back packs.Luckily she thought handbags were daft.

We had so much less to carry though, most of my stuff stayed safe in my desk at school.

LOL that depends on the school and the subjects taken. I can remember having an art folder, a cooking basket and my school bag, luckily I wasn't in the orchestra.

@sashh

Lol, the cookery basket, the A1 art folder and a bassoon 😂. But I still had less to put in my actual bag, I had an army and navy stores bag like the photo above. No one needed a backpack.

bugsandbees

What do you mean about judging future attainment. Are you equating ability to afford a good bag with academic success? Scruffy bags meaning difficulties? Or more style?

Basically you can't fit everything into a handbag and so it's usually the students who don't have equipment like calculator, glue sticks, highlighters etc. They may or may not have their exercise book. I work in an all girls school and majority have a rucksack and all their equipment.

Ah that makes sense!

@museumum

My dp were so against anything “fashionable” I wasn’t allowed a Head bag like everyone else or the “in” sweatshirts or jeans or trainers. My whole life age 13 was about hiding my crappy stuff. I did the same to myself as a student buying the cheapest or most “practical” stuff. I actually had no idea until I was way into my late 20s how nice it felt to have a bag or shoes or clothes I actually actively liked and made me feel good. I look back at photos of myself as a young adult and cringe still at how crappy I looked.

@museumum It is good to encourage children to have the confidence to be different, but I think some parents don't understand that, for early teens, it's natural to want to fit in. I expect your parents were trying to encourage you not to follow the herd, but I can see why it was difficult for you

I bought my dd whatever she needed to fit in within reason.

I wouldn’t dream of making her different.

When I was at school, we wanted these Rucanor bags
www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/335940453431512440/

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I bought my dd whatever she needed to fit in within reason.

I wouldn’t dream of making her different.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Not sure if you were replying to me, but if you were, my point was that, in your 30's, it's great to have confidence to stand out in the crowd, but most 13 year olds want to fit in, and I agree with you that I would try to facilitate that

I was just musing in general!

Secondary school is a minefield! When I was there it was kicker shoes, a certain Nike coat and a certain Adidas bag you had to have and casual day was a certain kickers jumper, Nike Air max and jeans! My daughters school isn't THAT bad but they all wear either kickers or deakins shoes and have the large handbags which I buy my daughter tbf along with name brand clothes she likes as I remember what it would have felt like to not have them at school, I was lucky my mum got me everything that was 'in' so I do it for her too 🤷‍♀️

@Givemeabreak88

I can’t imagine bags with wheels ever being fashionable, look too much like granny trollies

True, but then again... Crocs, Uggs, etc!