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Back to School on a Budget? It Can

Be Done With Style & Lessons Learned

By Nichole Butler

Being a kid can be hard, especially when it comes time to go back to school.

For a lot of children, it isn’t so much about not being able to sleep in and spending hours in front of a chalk board instead of a television, or having to go to the doctor for all those vaccinations and physicals.

There is on thing beyond the early bedtimes and 6 a.m. alarm clocks that have some children dreading the first day of school… being “cool”.

As adults, ensuring that the little people in our lives feel positive and upbeat about who they are can be tricky business.

Try telling a ten-year-old that it doesn’t matter where her clothes come from because no one can see the tag anyway, and she’ll come back with something  about how hard it is to pretend her shirt came from Aeropostale when everyone else’s Aeropostale shirts have the brands name written across the front. Don’t even try telling her that a pair of sweat pants is a pair of sweat pants, because if the sparkly monogrammed brand of Justice isn’t plastered up the side of her leg then it simply won’t do when trying to keep up with her friends.

You get to a certain age, especially in today’s economy, where you figure out that the two-dollar plain white tee at the second-hand store in virtually no different than the $22 plain white tee at the mall. At their age, children haven’t quite figured that out yet.

Parents can very easily turn the Back to School shopping into an educational experience.

An easy way to send your child back to school cool without breaking the bank is to browse through all those brand name fashions that are oh so popular amongst the little people, letting them choose their favorites styles, and keeping a note of how much everything costs.

Then, take your child to places such as Goodwill, Value Village, or The Salvation Army. Help them to find items that resemble the fashions in their pictures and point out that they can get virtually the same outfits for a lot less cost.

The earlier children learn how to budget and save on the things they want, the better off they’ll be in the long run, and the more money you’ll have to save for them!

It may not be easy to convince your child that the $48 pair of corduroy pants in the catalog is not necessary to goof around on the jungle gym with his friends. If your child seems overly worried about their new school wardrobe, take the opportunity to sharpen their compromising skills and give them a small allowance towards an Aeropostale shirt or a pair of sparkly Justice shorts.

The same goes for school supplies.

Staple items such as pencils and notebook paper are usually fairly inexpensive. It’s those colorful character brand folders and binders that raise the bill. Continue on with your budget and compromising lessons by allowing your child to choose one folder and one binder of his or her choice; or maybe present them with a deal – if they choose the “regular” school supplies, then they can get that really awesome Land’s End backpack. Just as you did with their clothes, point out the price differences.

Without understanding the concept of how much things cost, kids are more likely to only recognize that nothing is better than what the other children have… and if they aren’t confident they are more vulnerable towards those lovely little bullies on the playground.

School is a good thing, and necessary to help shape the lives of the small souls of tomorrow’s generation, but there are some lessons that won’t be found in a math problem or a spelling word.

Help your child out – and yourself – by teaching them a few “life lessons” during their Back to School shopping sprees.

F-F Schools Open Today,

Hazelwood Next Monday;

Others Later in August

Summer is winding down at least as far as the school year and it’s time to get everything in order to send your children back to school.

Area schools open as early as next Thursday, while other open the following week, and some of the non-public schools wait until closer to the end of the month.

Both the Florissant and Ferguson public school districts open for first day of classes on Thursday Aug. 11, while Hazelwood opens on Monday, Aug. 15.

Several of the area Catholic elementary schools open on Aug. 15, 16 or 17.

The fall semester at Rosati-Kain High School begins on Aug. 19, and Trinity Catholic High School begins a few days later on Aug.  23.

Lutheran High School North opens on Aug. 17.

For more information on a specific school, including start and end times, visit the school’s website or call the school’s office.

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