New school bag and lunchbox every September?

[AvocadoHo]

Light hearted debate with OH.

Making a list of school uniform needed for daughter (8) going back to school.

He rolled his eyes snd asked "why does she need a new bag? What's wrong with the one she has?"

Nothing is wrong with it, it's just a bit grubby and battered. But when I was growing up we had a new bag and lunch box every year. He feels this is excessive.

Is it really that uncommon?

@CatsArePeople

I was responding more to the idea that some people say they ‘need’ a new bag and pencil case every year as they will be broken/ripped and have holes in. For me I wouldn’t be happy with that, I don’t really see how a pencil case is getting such hard use that it’s ripped and broken by the end of the school year. However I am pretty strict about caring for belongings so maybe it isn’t as much of an issue to others.

I knew someone who bought new bags and lunch boxes every term
It was to ‘prove’ to nobody but herself that they could afford to-from what I can gather,they had a cupboard full of almost new bags and boxes
I didn’t unless they needed something replacing-3 out of 6 lunchboxes lasted the whole of primary

I think a bit about my replacing and I do accept the critisism its fine but its the trends. We change trends for ourselves so why not with the kids? Princess and unicorns will look dated.I am mainly talking about primary school years here where the things tend to be so cheap to replace. You can get so much cheaply at supermarkets etc.Like a new water bottle at Sainsburys was only 12.00 so I dont mind changing whenever really, had I been spending 40 or 50 on a bag etc I would think again maybe,

Replace when needed.

Unless no longer age appropriate, in which case would send to charity shop and replace.

Could not send a teenager to school with something that was more appropriate for a reception child

Lazylump you completely unintentionally sum up the issues with the throw away society we have.

I don’t replace my own clothes regularly. I wear things for as long as they last or fit I’m not a follower of fashion because I know what I like and I wear it. Certainly don’t buy new every season because “trends” say we should.

Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean we should have to accept that it’s thrown away after little use. For items such as bags and coats which you expect a lot of wear from it’s easy to avoid things like unicorns which may very quickly become an unliked item.

@lazylump72 then they key is to not buy ones that are dated!

This is the one I bought my DS last year! He will use it again this year, he hasn't even thought of asking for a new one because it's not an option. He isn't aware it could be an option. It is in perfect condition and it's not themed! I'm expecting him to use it for a another few years too to be honest!

Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean we should have to accept that it’s thrown away after little use

I know. I have a standard metal water bottle that wasn't expensive and has to be 20 years old that I take out with me most days including on hiking trips. Those things are indestructable. It does have a small dent in it because I dropped it on a rock the first time out but that doesn't stop it from functioning as a water bottle or make it needing to be replaced.

I can't see ever needing to replace it. Sometimes the seal gets a bit manky and if a soak in milton doesn't work, I might replace that, but otherwise, it will be with me until the day I die.

I can see that a teen won't want to be carrying a unicorn rucksack, so replacing things for fashion might be occasionally justified, but it's also worth remembering that if you normally replace things annually, and you change this to every five years, you have reduced your usage by 80%, which is hugely significant and easy to do for things that they don't grow out of and shouldn't be damaging or wearing out.

@lazylump72

I think a bit about my replacing and I do accept the critisism its fine but its the trends. We change trends for ourselves so why not with the kids? Princess and unicorns will look dated.I am mainly talking about primary school years here where the things tend to be so cheap to replace. You can get so much cheaply at supermarkets etc.Like a new water bottle at Sainsburys was only 12.00 so I dont mind changing whenever really, had I been spending 40 or 50 on a bag etc I would think again maybe,

But just because it's "cheap" doesn't mean it should be replaced just because it's September...

DS gets a new lunchbag because after a year of use even though I Dettol it every day it becomes discoloured and stained on the inside. And it gets scuffed up as it's slung about 🙄

But bag...he's had the same small rucksack since he was 3 he's 7 now. It was £15 in M&S dark navy with muted coloured dinosaurs on it. It's surviving really well! I'm impressed. And as DS is still in love with dinosaurs he likes it.

Once it rips or breaks I'll replace but for now, it's absolutely fine. So I see no need.

But then again at 31 I still have dresses and clothes in my wardrobe that I've had since my late teens! They still fit are in good order and are timeless in their fit and colours. So I don't replace them. I've had my trusty rucksack handbag for 6 years.

I'm a lone parent, I am not a high earner though I do work full time. We have about £1800 a month to live off so the less I have to buy and replace I do!

@BarbaraofSeville

Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean we should have to accept that it’s thrown away after little use

I know. I have a standard metal water bottle that wasn't expensive and has to be 20 years old that I take out with me most days including on hiking trips. Those things are indestructable. It does have a small dent in it because I dropped it on a rock the first time out but that doesn't stop it from functioning as a water bottle or make it needing to be replaced.

I can't see ever needing to replace it. Sometimes the seal gets a bit manky and if a soak in milton doesn't work, I might replace that, but otherwise, it will be with me until the day I die.

I can see that a teen won't want to be carrying a unicorn rucksack, so replacing things for fashion might be occasionally justified, but it's also worth remembering that if you normally replace things annually, and you change this to every five years, you have reduced your usage by 80%, which is hugely significant and easy to do for things that they don't grow out of and shouldn't be damaging or wearing out.

Even every 2 years would make a difference!

I could only justify a bag for nursery through reception infants. A new bag at juniors (maybe). Maybe a new bag at year 7 and then year 10 through to sixth form. So maybe 4 bags for reception through sixth form?

Could not send a teenager to school with something that was more appropriate for a reception child

I know some things are made to last but it is unlikely that a themed item would last a whole 7 years. It is still OK to replace worn out things. There’s is a difference between one year and 7 years!

I think DS has gone through four lunch bags in the seven years of infant and junior school, and two school bags. The school bag he has had for the last four years is retiring now, and he'll get a new one for senior. It wouldn't have occurred to me to replace them. In primary, they don't get much use, so I don't see how they wear out - it's not as if the children are constantly getting things in and out, as they do in senior. It just hangs on a peg all day.

Thinking about it, I think we did get a new bag most years as kids. My dcs have ugly, overpriced logo bags, because the school insists on them. They don't get new ones unless they are absolutely dead. There's no joy in buying those things anyway, so even if I was someone who didn't give a single shit about the planet, (which I'm not), I wouldn't want to buy one every year.

If we think COVID and lockdowns have been awful for our children, climate change is on a whole other scale. We need to make changes, no matter how small. So all because you got whole new uniform, school bags etc when young doesn’t mean you have to follow suit for your children.

You can get so much cheaply at supermarkets etc.Like a new water bottle at Sainsburys was only 12.00 so I dont mind changing whenever really, had I been spending 40 or 50 on a bag etc I would think again maybe,
Climate change could cut the world economy by $23 trillion by 2050 but you do you, babes

@justasking111

School bag always trashed by the end of the year. Mine always had school dinners so can't help there. Pencil cases, zipper broke, holes. If it was ruined bought new for back to school

Two things here. It's either a massive coincidence that the bag always becomes completely trashed during the last week of term or you've made an active decision that it was fine for your DC to use stuff that was "trashed" for at least some weeks. So why not replace as things actually become totally worn, rather than just because it's September?

If your DC's bag is regularly trashed by the end of a single year (particularly in the last 2 years where they weren't in school for several months) , I'd want to know what they were doing with them and expecting them to take better care rather than just always replacing.

Replacing just because it’s a new school year is excessive. We replace when needed - when things are worn out, or if the kid has totally grown out of the style (like too old now for paw patrol or whatever).

Meant I replaced DS bag a week before the end of term as it fell apart.

I did new bags for the DC most years, not new lunch boxes though as they get less battered. I kept the old bags for non-school use until they broke or got really manky. I don't think I'll get DD a new bag this year as she hasn't been in school much, just a term, and I didn't get her a new one last September either. She hasn't asked for one, and she's not as hard on her stuff as DS used to be anyway.

@lazylump72

I think a bit about my replacing and I do accept the critisism its fine but its the trends. We change trends for ourselves so why not with the kids? Princess and unicorns will look dated.I am mainly talking about primary school years here where the things tend to be so cheap to replace. You can get so much cheaply at supermarkets etc.Like a new water bottle at Sainsburys was only 12.00 so I dont mind changing whenever really, had I been spending 40 or 50 on a bag etc I would think again maybe,

This is such a (twisted) grown up attitude.

I work in a school , there are plenty of y5 girls with brand new unicorn or rainbow lunch boxes proudly showing them off. Or boys with a marvel or minecraft lunch box. Outdated my ass.Not to mention the amount of kids that play football or catch with them and throw them around .Overall, kids don't care unless they learn to care. Treating basic things like this as disposable fashion accessories is ridiculous and not a good mindset to get into. Don't complain later when they want the latest phone or branded stuff or the latest trainer "model" because the ones they have is "outdated".

You teach your kids that everything can be replaced because it's cheap or outdated or a bit worn out or just because , you reap what you sow when their interests aren't £12 at sainsbury anymore.

New bag and uniform each new year, yes of course

@EspressoDoubleShot

New bag and uniform each new year, yes of course

Why of course?

@EspressoDoubleShot

New bag and uniform each new year, yes of course

Why?

There's no need to replace something that is still usable just because it's the start of a new school year. Especially as many children have been out of school for a large part of the last 2 years, so items like lunchboxes and bags have had much less use than normal.

Wow are you kidding? DS has had the same lunchbag and bag for 2 years of preschool and it's being passed to his sister who'll use it another 2 years at least. Its been through the washing machine a few times.

Are you buying v inexpensive/poorer quality stuff that it's not lasting?