Book Bags

[Rusa123]

Hi, my ds is starting school in reception next week and we’ve been told to only send a book bag in. This feels like a really daft question, but if I send in a change of clothes for if he has an accident, would you just put them in the book bag, or a separate bag?

Separate bag xx backpack x

I always just put pants and trousers in the book bag for him. They have spares for if it's a major accident. They don't want bags in school and most of the kids are probably in a similar boat with toilet training so if they wanted 30 backpacks full of clothes they would have said.

My little one’s backpack just stays on peg doesn’t come home x but book bag home every day xx

If they've asked for you to only send a bookbag there will be a reason (likely a small cloakroom with pegs that are really close together, so no space to store big bulging backpacks). Please follow their guidance and put a change of clothes in the bookbag. A pair of pants and trousers will fit in fine, and the bookbag will slot nicely into their drawer.

Every year we ask for the same at my school in Reception. We say bookbags only please as they fit everything they need nicely and we don't have the space to store backpacks. Every year a few parents send backpacks anyway (I swear they make it their mission to find the biggest one possible 🙄). It's a bit like how we always say name everything you wish to come back to you, and within the first week someone is blaming us for losing a jumper they haven't bothered to name 🙄. The guidance is there for a reason, so it's best to follow it.

Regarding spare clothes, the school will probably have some anyway for emergencies but some parents/children can be particular about wanting their own underwear (understandably) and stocks usually run quite low as nobody ever seems to bring anything back these days (each year I end up topping up our supply of spare underwear out of my own pocket) so it's always best to provide your own spares if you anticipate toilet accidents.

Spare clothes in book bag. There often isn’t space in the cloakrooms for backpacks, and book bags are often stored in drawers or a box.

I found a spare pair of shorts/trousers, a polo, pants and socks will fit in a book bag with the books. We didn't send a spare jumper.

Will he have a PE kit at school? I just used that as my daughter's spares,n

Is it likely they will have an accident?

If not, then don't bother.

Dm always sent me with a spare pair of pants despite me rarely having had an accident since toilet trained at 18 months and I found it so embarrassing, even at reception age. I remember trying to squash them into a corner of my bag so they were less obvious and feeling the lump was so obvious.

They will have spare clothes in school in case of accidents.

If they do have a reason why they may have regular accidents then you're probably better speaking to the teacher and seeing what the best thing to do is.

Ours say leave a bag of spare clothes on their peg and book bag taken every day.