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 also chose a lunchbox with a separate sandwich compartment so that the sandwich didn't need wrapping.

I've bought new lunch bags because they're quite tatty. School bags will last another year as I got them new for last term (they only had their book bags before that, didn't seem to need a bag). I'm reusing the school jumpers and handing the younger one down the eldests. The eldest was given some bigger jumpers by a friend. My lads tend to only wear them to school then stuff them in their bags anyway. Both getting new trousers, shirts and shoes because they're trashed 🤣

@burritofan

Monday: IPCC issues code red for humanity and the climate emergency. Tue-Fri: heatwaves, floods, disasters. Saturday: lol, lighthearted debate but should we buy a reusable item annually because sentiment?

I’d say “burn the world” but we already are. (Sorrynotsorry not feeling very lighthearted tbqh)

Well put.

@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?

My dd used the same bag at secondary school for about 4 years. Asked ds if he needed a new bag or pencil case this year and he said no.

I wouldn't routinely buy new stuff if they didn't need it

Lunch boxes are disgusting by the end of the year (well they are in this house) I don’t see anything wrong with a new lunch box but a bag doesn’t get that much battering does it to only last a year?

I wouldn't buy new for the sake of it - it's wasteful and bad for the environment.

I teach in a secondary in an average area and loads of kids reuse their bags/blazers etc.

When I started secondary school, my parents bought me a brand new blazer with some growing room in it. Turns out, I didn't grow much at all and was a careful child, so it lasted until the end of the third year! At which point, it was donated to another child who got a further 18 months wear out of it

My son's primary don't allow backpacks due to lack of space. He is going into Y3 and will be using the same PE bag and book bag that I bought in reception. Both are perfectly fine.

Use as long as possible. I even repair bags.

Remember first principle of green living is reduce.

Reduce consumption.

@GameSetMatch
Why would a lunchbox be disgusting - it gets washed clean every day? What do you do with the old ones?

I definitely don’t, but I’ve stuck them through the wash before. DS11 will get a new one this year as he’s going to big school so he’s been treated to one. I like soft lunchboxes rather than the plastic ones as I find the plastic ones always seem to break at some point. The ones we’ve got from Asda you can wipe the inside with a wet wipe.

Of course I would replace them if they were broken or very shabby but I tend to buy good-ish school bags so they last quite well. Same with school shoes, I find if you buy cheap you buy twice.

Planet is fucked coz of people buying unnecessary crap. Mine keep things til they fall apart

We have bought new this year because the older one looks grubby and it won't wash out BUT we are then rotating the old one to replace using a bag for life for her swimming stuff so it'll still be used.

No only of need replacing and so far for my 8 year old never. I am with Your OH and also the people who pointed out the environmental effect so true I hadn't thought of that!

If really doesn't need replacing I wouldn't (and didn't) for the sake of it. At 8 your DD is old enough to have a conversation with about not just buying new stuff for the sake of it and why it's a good thing for the planet.

DS2 is still using the lunch bag I bought for DS1 in 2012. He’ll be returning with it in September. Bags are on their 3rd year.

No every September I get new. Not sending my kid off to school being the scruffy one with last years tatty stuff.

I don’t get this obsession with only buying school stuff in September.

I buy it when it’s needed, whenever that is.

We didn’t replace bags or lunchboxes routinely, only as needed. Bought sturdy Kipling ones at the start of secondary and they lasted.
However, we did surge on pencil cases and stationery while on holiday in France, they make a big thing of La Rentree and supermarkets would have lovely stuff. Was always tempted by the exercise books and files but French school stationery is ruled for their system of handwriting, and they rarely got used.

@pollylocketpickedapocket

How tatty do school bags get? Are you buying very cheap ones so they fall apart quickly? Or are you not washing them? They shouldn’t look that bad after one school year.

• splurge

Not a child's lunchbox, but I bought a lunchbox in 1985 (expensive at the time), when I started a new job. I retire next year and I am still using it, day in day out for 36 years!

Buy when you need to, my children are grown up and never saw the point of this ‘new’ every September business, just replace when necessary, no wonder people are complaining about cash issues when they replace things for the sake of it.

lunchbag goes in the washer if it's too grubby/yoghurt explosion.
I buy new if they are broken. everh 3 years or so.

Nope, our school bags last for years and years. They get put in the washing machine over the summer and hang dry. Its ridiculous both financially and environmentally. If your bags are falling apart then buy a sturdier one, might be a bit more expensive but over the years it will be so much cheaper.

@parker123 it’s a cloth bag with handles after umpteen yogurt spills even when I put it in the dish washer the seams still have yoghurt on them. I have tried rubbing but then the material gets frayed and the next yoghurt spill sticks even more!

Oh and I put the only bags in the cloth recycle bin at Sainsbury’s @Parker231