Ahh, back-to-school

This will be my first back-to-school as a mother. I did plenty of back-to-schools as a kid myself. But this year, it’s my kid who is going back to school.

I’ve had that catchy Staples commercial—you know, the one where the song It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year plays in the background as an ecstatic father skips through the store, dragging his kids behind him on a couch and throwing school supplies into their laps—stuck on repeat in my head for about a week now.

Of course, my daughter doesn’t look like those kids in the commercial (not yet, anyway). She’s only 5 and she’s still in love with the whole school thing.

I think the best part for her is the new backpack she’s going to get. She’s been scoping the stores since early last spring looking for just the right one. I want to make her happy, but price and practicality come into play. I’m not big on character clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. But my daughter is. So, where I want a nice pink or purple backpack for her, she wants Disney Princesses or Diego or something like that.

First it was a Disney Princess backpack. Then it was Hello Kitty. Then it was Dora the Explorer. I’m not sure what she wants this week.

What I want? A good price and a good quality backpack that works for my daughter.

You see, she’s petite. A lot of what’s available is too big for her. And if we go down a size to the kiddie backpacks, well, then the bag is too small to accommodate her school work, lunch box, water bottle, change of clothes, running shoes, etc.

Outside of price and quality, I didn’t really know what to look for in a bag. I figured my daughter’s personal taste would be important. But I wasn’t sure how much I should cater to that.

Enter a recent media release I received about Tips on choosing and using the right backpack. Check it out. The tips helped me prepare for our upcoming back-to-school shopping spree. I’ve got a clearer idea of what I should be looking for. And after a little chat with my daughter, I think she has clearer expectations of what she can have and why certain styles are better than others.

About these ads