The start of a new school year is chock full of mixed feelings – from parents and children alike. Each school year starts with its own set of challenges but having a smooth transition is not difficult if you have your ducks in a row. Check out this simple list from uniform to tiffin to ensure the anticipation and excitement of the first day of school isn’t marred by chaos!
Let’s get started.
Uniform
Children go through growth spurts and it’s always a good idea to check the uniform well before school starts. This way you avoid the last minute rush and can also ensure sufficient time for exchanges etc.
It’s good practice to buy one extra set and keep it aside – out of the daily rotation. Use it for school events like prize day, picture day so your child has a fresh unstained set for these special occasions when they need to look their best.
School shoes can get expensive if the school’s policy on shoes is a bit relaxed. Some schools allow for unbranded sports shoes/school shoes as long as they aren’t flamboyant and in the school colours. In this case sticking to solid brands like Campus, Action, Bata and Liberty makes sense. Shoes go through the most wear and tear and these brands have long held Indian parents’ confidence.
School bag
A sturdy school bag can last for a couple of years, easy. But, if it’s time to get a new one, or the old one isn’t ‘vibing’ you really will be spoilt for choice. It is advisable to not buy expensive school bags for children, because you just cannot control the variables when your child is in school. Brands like Genie have lovely prints and sizes and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Pick one that will fit your child’s current grade and school books load so you don’t end up with dog-eared text books.
Tiffin box and water bottle
The higher the grade, the longer they’re in school and the need for varied food is proportional to this. There are Bento box options out there but they can be quite expensive. You want something that’ll last them the whole day and have enough compartments so they have variety. Along with the main food in the tiffin, you’d love to pack a bit of fresh fruit, or dry fruits, maybe a muffin, some sides like cucumber and hummus or even a chocolate. You’ll find plenty of options within the Rs 600 range to ensure your child has a large enough tiffin box to last the day in school and even on the bus back home!
Stationery
Who doesn’t love stationery? It’s an inbuilt switch that draws you to it and keeps you hovering, picking up things you don’t need, just because they’re pretty! So before you go treat yourself at the stationery store, pick up notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, crayons, paints, coloured pencils, markers, highlighters, geometry case, glue sticks and tape!
School books
Once you get the school booklist, it makes sense to try and get books from a senior student. Textbooks can be very expensive so try and reduce that expenditure by borrowing the necessary books from a senior student and of course repay the favour by giving a younger student the textbooks your child no longer needs. Setting up a channel on a messaging app can help to streamline the system and multiple parents can benefit from it.
Communication
Update your contact information (if anything has changed) with the school, including phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts.
Going back to school can be a slightly daunting experience if you’ve moved your child to a new school or even if your child’s previous academic year wasn’t very good. Not having a great academic year can be because of a number of reasons like growth spurt, friends getting split up into different divisions, a slightly advanced level of studies, increased projects and activities, comfort level with the new teachers, difficulty getting along with classmates – the list is quite endless. Talk to your child about starting school well before the start date, addressing any concerns or fears they may have.
Feature Photo by Anil Sharma
