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?

I live in a poorer area and absolutely everyone gets new stuff for September. I do uniforms when they need them but usually get them a new jumper and shirts for September as old ones bobble terribly. I do have friends though that will bin or pass on everything at the school holidays and buy the whole uniform new.

I find in high school despite being only allowed school bags that they don't last anywhere near as long as primary. Not even a full school year.

Probably because in primary you put them on a peg for the day but in secondary they're dragging them round classes all over the building, the bus, the lunch hall etc in short they're just handled a lot more.

Insulated material still washes.

And it also still goes manky and mouldy.

If you're getting your kids to eat warm sandwiches and yoghurts daily hats off people.

@Tinacollada

And it also still goes manky and mouldy.

If you're getting your kids to eat warm sandwiches and yoghurts daily hats off people.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Ours have never gone manky or mouldy.

No uncommon, but yes excessive to buy for the sake of it, we all need to change how we treat ourselves by consuming less.

but can't you see it's about questioning everything we do and trying to make the right, or at least better, choices?
This. Of course not everyone can go vegetarian or vegan, or grow their own, or switch electricity supplier or bank or pension, or change to a heat pump instead of a gas boiler (I certainly can’t afford to do that, or drive an EV), or a myriad of things.

But unless items are genuinely unusable it’s an easy quick win, that 99.9% of people can do, to stop buying stuff “just because”, whether that because is “because I like my kid to look smart on day one [even if they instantly trash everything… in which case why bother?]” or worse, “because I used to do this as a kid and MEMORIES!”

Not one of us needs to be environmentally perfect; we do all need to be striving towards that, and we do all need to be lobbying the government, putting pressure on big business, and aiming to live life in a way that consumes far fewer resources. Buying all-new annually because of lovely 80s rose-tinted memories is indefensible. Create another fucking memory for your kid!

My son has had the same lunch box since he was at preschool

He doesn't have packed lunch that often, so I am not getting him another one for the sake of it.

He's had the same rucksack for about 2/3 years. I won't be getting him another one for September. Will probably get him one when he starts secondary next sept. As this one is probably too small for that.

Always get new shoes though.

@burritofan

but can't you see it's about questioning everything we do and trying to make the right, or at least better, choices? This. Of course not everyone can go vegetarian or vegan, or grow their own, or switch electricity supplier or bank or pension, or change to a heat pump instead of a gas boiler (I certainly can’t afford to do that, or drive an EV), or a myriad of things.

But unless items are genuinely unusable it’s an easy quick win, that 99.9% of people can do, to stop buying stuff “just because”, whether that because is “because I like my kid to look smart on day one [even if they instantly trash everything… in which case why bother?]” or worse, “because I used to do this as a kid and MEMORIES!”

Not one of us needs to be environmentally perfect; we do all need to be striving towards that, and we do all need to be lobbying the government, putting pressure on big business, and aiming to live life in a way that consumes far fewer resources. Buying all-new annually because of lovely 80s rose-tinted memories is indefensible. Create another fucking memory for your kid!

Totally agree! Well said @burritofan

@Tinacollada

Oh stop whingeing

How original 🤣

Why not respond to my point? Plastic lunch boxes still exist, and are actually a very popular choice for school lunches.

We're not buying anything new other than trainers for DS2. Everything else still fits and is not worn out. Why would anyone get rid of perfectly good stuff and spend a lot of money on unnecessary replacement?

it’s an easy quick win, that 99.9% of people can do, to stop buying stuff “just because

And that’s fine if the person stating it does exactly that. So buys nothing non essential, drives nowhere they don’t need to, doesn’t use power for anything non essential, no holidays or travel etc, eats nothing imported etc.

We do our bit for the environment but I’d never tell someone not to buy a bag once a year unless I was 100% self sustainable and carbon neutral myself.

Not to mention if totally committed to climate change then having children would seem a choice that doesn’t correspond with that.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

it’s an easy quick win, that 99.9% of people can do, to stop buying stuff “just because

And that’s fine if the person stating it does exactly that. So buys nothing non essential, drives nowhere they don’t need to, doesn’t use power for anything non essential, no holidays or travel etc, eats nothing imported etc.

We do our bit for the environment but I’d never tell someone not to buy a bag once a year unless I was 100% self sustainable and carbon neutral myself.

What a ridiculous argument

Yes, but I’ve already had a child – I can’t reduce, reuse and recycle her. I can choose not to have the 2-3 children I planned, though. A choice which causes me a lot more pain than not buying a new plastic lunchbox every September.

And I disagree hugely that people need to be 100% sustainable and carbon-neutral to point out waste, or say “Whoa, that’s insane” – very few of us in the world as it’s set up CAN be 100% sustainable/neutral; it’s often a middle-class privilege to be so, and theirs cannot be the only voices allowed to speak.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Not to mention if totally committed to climate change then having children would seem a choice that doesn’t correspond with that.

I don't have children. I'm sure someone will now ask why i'm on MN

@Parker231 exactly, if an item is charity shoppable it's usable.

Hear hear burrito

It may not make a massive difference but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all make the little changes we can simply - such as moving away from having such a throw away culture. These little things we can do now will also then become the norm for our children so have a positive long term effect

My 8 year old is on his second bag in 7 years (Thomas for childminder and first 2 years of school, then replaced with a Minecraft bag which is still going strong. My 5 year old still has the bag she started school nursery with aged 2, with a ladybird on. It wouldn't cross my mind to replace them just because it's September.

Not buying something new for September, just because it is September, is such an easy win to do our bit for climate change. It's not just the resources, what about the working conditions of the people making the products. The cheap school uniform you chuck away in August because you want new in September. It also teaches children that you don't just buy new clothes for the sake of it. Yes we can take stuff to the charity shop, but they discard a lot of stuff too, so it doesn't always get reused.

We hardly spent any money during lockdowns, and haven't done a huge shopping spree yet. It has made us think about what we spent our money on, and we weren't the biggest spenders before.

I encourage them to choose "generic" bags rather than character ones that they might not like in a year's time, and if they're still in good order then I don't replace them. Thankfully neither of my kids have ever cared much about having the "in" thing, but I imagine that'll come as they get older.

No we don't do new in September, we just replace things when they need replacing.

I actually still own the backpack my Mum bought me for school when I was about 14/15! I'm 33 now. We use it for days out.

If it was a lol dolls or similar bag, and she's grown up a bit over the some then yeah, it's not fair for kids to walk around with babyish stuff, but other then that, no, if it's not got holes in it, then why on earth would you buy a new one?

Even if school kit is replaced every year, it's still used 200-odd times.

There is a lot in landfill used less than that.

I find those insulated lunchboxes give out in less than two years. The zippers break and the silver lining becomes brittle and breaks. Bento plastic lunchboxes aren't great either- the plastic inserts seem to crack and the hinges go. The foam ones also get a gross smell that won't wash out. DC school won't allow them to throw out rubbish at school, so after lunch they sit all day with apple cores, empty tuna cans etc, which doesn't help.

It's easier to replace stuff at the beginning of the school year, as that's when there are lots of offers and extra stock.

Ive just packed my (new) lunchbox ready for school tomorrow, makes me feel a little bit better about going back! No new bag though.