What items to label for children going back to school

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Stick2Me.  All views and opinions are my own, and very honest. 

It’s August, and once again we are preparing for back to school.  After all the shopping for supplies and clothes is done, the next step is getting everything ready for the year.  With four children, I am sure you can imagine the sheer amount of school supplies we must purchase!  Every year, we must go through and label all the new items we purchase.   I’ve become somewhat of an expert on knowing what items to label for children going back to school!

Over the years, we have tried many different techniques.  In the beginning, I would write their names on every single item.  Not only was this time-consuming, I have horrible handwriting!  The next couple years, I decided to try buying labels at the store.  These worked a lot better in the fact they looked better (they didn’t fix my handwriting though!) and I was able to stick the on items that were harder to write on (like shoes).  The down side to most of these were they never stuck for long.

This year, we hit it pretty lucky when we got in touch with Annie from Stick2me labels.  She was able to send us some samples to try out and I am more than pleased with the results!  They are so sturdy, they stay put and are waterproof!  These labels are a total win in my book!  You can read more about them later in this article.

Labeling the kid’s school supplies has many benefits

• Children: It helps to reduce anxiety of knowing which items are theirs.  This makes it easier when it comes time to clean up or get supplies out.
• Teachers: It’s a life saver!  Having their items labeled makes it easier for teachers to identify what items belong to which child.  This helps to resolve arguments between children and reduce the number of items ending up in the “lost and found” pile. 
• Parents: Labels save money! Easily being able to identify who an item belongs to means fewer items disappearing and needing to be replaced! I have had to replace many jackets, scarves, and gloves over the years that weren’t labeled.

Knowing what items to label for children going back to school

Knowing what to label is just as important as purchasing the labels in the first place!  Most parents think about the basics such as folders, note books, and pencil pouches.  There is so much more you can label, such as:

• Back Packs
• Lunch boxes
• Shoes/Boots
• Pencils
• Glue Sticks
• Coats/Jackets
• Scarves, Hats, and Gloves
• Rulers
• Books from home
• Toys that go to school
• Lunch containers
• Water bottles

Most parents do not think of these belongings when wondering what items to label for children.  I know this from personal experience!  The boots for example, I never would have thought to label.  A couple of years ago though, that all changed with my oldest.

She was in middle school and had worn a brand-new pair of boots from Target to school.  I didn’t think anything of it since they were on her feet.  What I had forgotten about was that she had PE and had to switch to her tennis shoes.  They do not have lockers just for gym until high school, so she had to leave them on the bleachers.  Well when she got ready to change back into them, they were gone!  Since they were not labeled, we couldn’t even begin to prove they were hers even if we had found them. 

More about Stick 2 Me Labels

I mentioned early that I had an opportunity to try Stick2Me labels.  Annie at Stick2Me.net creates fun, durable, and waterproof labels for children.  As a mom of two, she quickly found the need to identify her children’s items, and created these awesome labels.

Stick2Me labels have six different sizes:

• Square Label (30mmx30mm)
• Round Label (30mm)
•  Small Rectangle (22mm x 13mm)
• Medium Rectangle(36mm x 10mm)
• Large Rectangle (47mm x 23mm)
• Fun Labels (different based on which style you choose). 

There are different options for font style, illustrations, and patterns.  Stick2Me labels are extremely customizable to fit your child’s personality.  My personal favorite size is the small rectangle because it fits perfectly on pens and pencils!  To learn more about Stick2Me labels (or to order your own), you can check them out at https://www.stick2me.net/

Knowing what items to label for children going back to school will help not only your children, but also you and their teachers.  We always love to hear your feedback.  What items do you typically label for children going back to school? Let us know in the comments below!