How often do you check your child's school bag?

[nappyaddict]

Do you check it every night without fail? Do you check it as soon as they come in from school or at some point afterwards going as late as the next morning? What about on a friday night or if they have got a day off the next day due to school holidays, inset, strike or voting etc?

[wheresthepimms]

every day but must admit that if the letter is of no concern to me I do leave it in the bag til the end of the week, which may give the appearance to his teacher that I am not checking it

older 2 are at prep school and all their bags stay at school come home once a term at the end of term, letters are emailed out to parents much easier system if you ask me

[FunnysInTheGarden]

I need to check at night though incase there's something I need to do for the next day. Depends really what hours you work etc

[FunnysInTheGarden]

Every day, as DS1 is in reception and so I have to check his reading diary and remember to write in it once he has read to me. I tend to do it as soon as I get home at 6ish.

[cjbartlett]

Every day
Have to write in book after reading book has been read
And put water and fruit in there

[nappyaddict]

Then again mine is only in reception so I don't have homework or reading books to check for.

[nappyaddict]

I'm surprised more people don't check in the mornings before school or once the children are in bed. I never seem to have time in the evening. 3 nights of the week I've gone to work before he gets home and the other 2 we always seem to be rushing somewhere and then rushing back to get him fed and in bed at a reasonable hour!

[madhattershouse]

I try to remember to look for homework/invites every day. Now the school has gone paperless I find it's the e-mails I have to watch out for (great excuse to turn on the computer).
DP - What are you doing?
me - checking the e-mail (while loading up MN!!)

[mungogerry]

Daily. Y2.

[sugartongue]

everyday - DS (8) has the organisational skills of a gnat, I usually find the (completed) homework he was supposed to have handed in that morning...

[ninani]

Daily. The monent he changes his shoes I check his bag
But they do send letters from school and I need to know if he needs to do home reading etc.

[clottedcream]

everyday as soon as we get in around 3.30pm - as everyday there is some form of communication - newsletter, party invite, plan for things happening that week etc...

[mrsbiscuits]

Yes everyday here too.

[pinkgirlythoughts]

Indigo, at the beginning of September we sent out a letter telling parents what needed to be brought into school on which day (P.E. kits, reading books, etc), and reminding them to check bookbags regularly for any correspondence from school.

We thought we would help parents by telling them this.

Sadly, quite a few of those letters are still in bookbags now.

So I don't expect them to 'just guess,' or to automatically know, that they need to check in their children's bags. Although by year 2, I would have hoped most would have got the hang of it, and be doing it anyway, without needing to be told again.

[startail]

Satchel post is an imperfect system, children don't put things in their bags. Mums don't get them out.
They are I'll.
The letters get left in Dad's car (we live together, but still I've found Xmas cards in may)
Mum looses them, very common in this house.
And unfortunately sometimes the teachers are late giving them out (I know I make and copy thinks for the PTA)
texts are great for the 90% of the population who can find their mobiles, I often can't.
Please put it on your website and a copy on the big notice board at school! Both of these are impossible for me to loose!!

[JoArcher]

I check his homework book to see if he has actually handed in his homework and got a house point. I sometimes get notes from the teacher asking where it is, so she obviously doesn't think it is safe to look inside the bag for it!

Also, he has day release one day a week to attend a bi-lingual school. I live in hope that the teacher has actually sent what he misses home for us to do.

Ditto about the fruit. Bananas have a way of getting mighty squidgy in this weather...

[teacherwith2kids]

When my children (Year 3 and Year 5) respond 'Yes' to the question 'Do you have anything I need to know about in your book bag?'.

Hasn't failed yet...

[DownyEmerald]

Every day - I like getting letters!

Our school has a text thing which is good for reminders of things like non-uniform day, tho' it tends to be a letter first.

[BerylOfLaughs]

Yr R - I check every day after school.

[AbigailS]

I wish we has some of you parents at my school. Lots of parents moan that they didn't know about something, e.g to wear PE kit to school on Thursday for a special event, but it's been in the half termly newsletter, it's on the school website and it's on the class notice board and just to make certain we don't have tears from someone who forgot I often send a short note in book bags the day or two before. Some moan that they've lost the newsletter as it came out weeks ago and that they don't do the school run (hence the last message in bookbags). The comment is "you should have let us know" and when I point all the above out they reply they never look in the bookbag. I can't win!

[ThisIsJustASagaNow]

I check every day (yr4). I don't always look in it but I always ask if there are any letters. Dd is pretty reliable about bringing stuff home. I still have a very regular root about in it too though.

Dd secondary in yr 7- no, I don't look in hers now but thankfully there seems to be a marked decline of letters home from yr 7 onwards compared to juniors. Such blessed relief after 7 yrs of being bombarded from reception to yr6

I know what's coming re inset days, school trips etc. My calendar is gospel round here. I think if there was a fire it'd be one of the first things I'd rescue

[bossboggle]

lemonmousse - totally agree - look in the bloody bag!!

[bossboggle]

At our school we tell the parents, the grand parents and any other adult who is responsible for the children - guess what there are still mountains of stuff in their bags that should have gone home!! Newsletters etc, forms that should have been returned........we now do not send out duplicates of forms.

[MoreBeta]

Check every day without fail.

Its easy to tell how long bags go unchecked given that our DSs seem to come home wioth other people's jumpers, kit and their parents never notice.

[baffledmum]

Daily. I have 2 bags to check. I was thinking of starting a bookbag blog. It would be called Tyranny of the School Bookbag!

[startail]

I guess most days, but not always as she's year 5. However, it doesn't always help because she sometimes sticks letters in her draw not her bag Grrrr!