School shopping was almost nonexistent this year. I had some gift cards and coupons for Office Max and bought 40$ worth of things for 8$!!!! I also picked up some things at good ol' Wally World just to find out my daughter's class can't have spiral notebooks because they are messy. That is an easy fix as far as I'm concerned. If the student wants to use spiral, then they must have the kind that is perforated. Seriously not rocket science. She also didn't have the right kind of erasers.
Well, after all of these years of sending in supplies to be shared and used by less fortunate students, I am tired of it. My children will now be using their left over supplies from previous years. There is no reason for these supplies to sit around my house just because each teacher requires something different.
Jason is in the 8th grade now and his teachers want him having a separate 3 ring binder for each class. That is 5-7 binders! He isn't a girl! He is rough on his things and I can't replace 5 binders 4 times a year. So, we went to those folders that have, like, 8 slots in them. Then I pulled out old binders from years before. If he is going to ruin something, I'd like it to be something old.
I feel as though we simply throw money out the window at school time. They require so many things, and only 1/4 of it gets used. Most of the time, the supplies that are sent to the elementary school aren't even used by my children. The supplies are all "community" supplies and the 2 pair of scissors required are to make up for the kids that don't bring in anything. The two boxes of crayon or 48 pencils . . . same thing.
Well, this year I need a little help. My daughter need erasers today. I said, "Well, grab a baggie of erasers from the stock." Her: "No, I need different erasers." Me: "Too bad. Its what we have."
I'm frustrated. Gym shoes are another thing. I don't want my kids using the "community" shoes that are available. I also don't want to buy shoes the kids will only use twice a week for 40 minutes. They grow out of them before they wear out! That is not cost effective. Luckily Jason doesn't need gym shoes for a couple months. Carly said she would just wear her Chuck's from last year. Caden is super mad because the gym shoes I got him are so cool he wants to wear them everyday. So, I told him he could as long as he used his sister's only shoes for gym. It worked. If you know Carly, you know that she only wears Chucks and so he is wearing boy's shoes.
What is happening to me. I'm making my son wear his sister's shoes. For years, if I had extra money, I made sure I gave the classrooms extra supplies, added money to the classroom accounts, and purchased school sweatshirts for needy children. This year, the same is being expected of me but I just don't have it.
The kids are all set for clothes though. Boo Hiss for credit cards and department store cards, but am happy they exist when hits school time. I was able to get the 8 yr old 4 pr of pants and enough shirts for a week or so. Course, he let me know they were baby clothes and needed to pick out his own. For 12$ a shirt, I didn't care what he thought, but let him pick out some $10 ones for himself.
Carly was easy, until she tried everything on again the weekend before school. All of her pants were too big. Luckily, her dad had brought her some clothes from his recent visit to Pennsylvania. She has many beautiful things and looked absolutely adorable this morning.
Jason was so difficult to buy clothes for. He is at the age where he thinks brands matter - ugh! He wanted DC this and Rob D that and Hurly and whatever else is "cool" but still wants to look clean, preppy and put together. He accomplished it, but it was a frustrating process. Jay had to find things for him in PA too.
So, yes, school has begun and now we can pay for it all year. Along with groceries, hockey, electricity, phone bills, direct tv, gas, fuel . . . but we manage. We struggle and struggle but never quit and never give up.
Now, it is Thursday and I need to get to work, cook dinner, get Jason to dry land, back home to make sure any homework gets done and all kids have everything ready for school tomorrow - oh, and now I need to run to Fairbanks to apply for a job that J just called about. I don't know what it is or anything, but I'll do what I have to.
3 comments:
Sounds very much like my household right now. My girly is in-between yours in the elementary school, the other in high school. The high schooler is begging to homeschool after orientation and one day of school, sigh.
I just keep trucking on and doing what I need to do.
I wish we lived closer & could lean on each other this school year! We bought a lot of thrift store clothes & new shoe laces & very few school supplies!! I made them use last years left over stuff too!!!
Reusing is definitely the BEST idea!!! Carly tried to reuse pants, but she is just too tall, Jason too. Caden has destroyed anything he could have possibly used again - he is so hard on everything. I did have to get them all shoes. Jason wore holes in his pair and his feet grew, Carly's were trashed and ugly, and Caden outgrew everything. He and Carly almost wear the same size shoe, but he has Barney Rubble feet.
I'm so afraid to spend time in the second hand store because - what if I come across clothes from a family with cats. It is probably unreasonable, but I am really afraid of that. What if no one is around after I pick up a shirt with cat hair? Does someone wash everything before it is hung up?
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