5 ways to make sure your child doesn't lose every single item they own.

There must be a secret place where all lost school items go to hide. Lost socks are probably in charge, but school hats and jumpers are definitely also residents of Lost Item City.

It’s a strange phenomenon that sees literally hundreds of school items disappear throughout the year. Schools are like the Bermuda Triangle for stationery and clothes. Items are taken inside the school walls and then never seen again. It’s a mystery to all of us.

Parents often discuss how they can avoid losing 50 hats AGAIN this year. Because not only is it annoying and time consuming, it is also costly. Lost items cost money.

And you don’t want to be buying new items you forked out for only a few weeks earlier.

Though some losses after inevitable (play time is a priority over pencils for a five-year old, after all), there are definitely ways that you can make sure you child does not lose every item they own.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by DAIRYLEA Cheese. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words. 

Mummy Hack 1: Label everything.

EVERYTHING. I cannot emphasise this enough. Yes, kids do take their school shoes off sometimes, so you will need those labels. Pencils, bags, jumpers. Label it all. Full name and class. Investing in quality vinyl and iron labels now will save you a fortune throughout the year.

Mummy Hack 2: Take the minimum.

Does your child need 12 coloured pencils or 72? Does he need one hat or two? Keep the spare jumper at home, not at school. The more stuff they take to school the more things that can possibly get lost. Always take the bare minimum.

Mummy Hack 3: Check their bag regularly.

Not only do kids lose ‘stuff’ but they also lose notes. Constantly. Oh no, it’s Mufti Day tomorrow. Fantastic. Be sure to check their bag for lost hats, pencils and notes and newsletters that seems to be weighed down with lead and sink straight to the bottom.

Mummy Hack 4: Keep spares.

They only have one head so why do they need two hats, you ask? Always have a spare. Always. When (because it WILL happen) something gets lost, it is easier and less stressful to give them the spare and search for the lost item later. Especially as most schools have a no-hat no-play rule. Six-year-olds do not like getting told they cannot play. Keep a spare, trust me.

Mummy Hack 5: Know the system.

Does your school have a lost property? Will they check nametags or do you have to go through it and find them yourself? Not all schools will automatically send an item back to a child. It takes resources and time to hand deliver every lost item back, after all. Often the name labels just make it easier for you to find the item in the lost property box.

Mummy Hack 6: Reward them.

Ok, I don’t mean give them money or anything, but a little praise for looking after their personal items has never gone astray. Kids love praise and if you tell them you are proud of them for looking after their school uniform and stationery supplies they are more likely to continue to do it in the future.

What handy tips do you have to stop your kids from losing their school items?

DAIRYLEA cheese believes in a world where the best food is made with simple and honest ingredients. Where fun and play should be part of your every day, for kids as well as mums…So to support the fun loving mums of the world, we’ve invented MUMMY HACKS. These are the mummy inspired ideas that help take the ‘um’ out of being a mum.

​For more useful tips, tricks and parenting tidbits visit mummyhacks.com.au

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