Just 6 very specific thoughts every parent has when back-to-school shopping.

January is practically here, and so is the countdown to D-Day (more commonly know as the first day of Term 1). 

Which means unfortunately, it’s time to get serious about your back-to-school smarts. Because while we all love to tell ourselves we’ve got plenty of time, and that the school holidays go on for ages, the reality is that back-to-school date creeps up quickly, and planning ahead is the difference between calm and chaos.

To make you feel a little less alone in the struggle, I've compiled a list of the six very specific thoughts every parent has when shopping for school supplies.

1. "Do they really need that many pens and pencils?"

I used to love shopping for stationery. It was one of life’s little pleasures – peacefully perusing beautifully adorned notebooks, picking up pens that fit perfectly in my hand (and promised to flow with inspiration).

But back-to-school stationery shopping isn’t meant to be fun. Instead, it’s a test of memory and endurance. Every year, I buy my kids copious amounts of pens, pencils, sharpeners, rubbers and rulers. I buy pencil cases of their choosing, to keep said items safe.

Yet somehow, when January rolls around, we seem to be starting from scratch yet again. My go-to tip? Buy more than you think you’ll need. Ten packs of pencils and pens rather than individual items, and stock-up on small items like sharpeners otherwise you’ll waste hours of your life hunting for them when it comes time for on-deadline homework or packing essentials for school.

2. "Surely they haven’t grown THAT much?"

Now’s the time to get out last year’s uniforms and get your kids to try them on.

Yes, it’s only been a few weeks but somehow those shorts and shirts that seemed perfectly fine in Term 4 are now too short, too tight, and were they always missing those buttons? Will that stain ever come out? And how on earth did you get a hole there?

With three boys all at the same school, I figured I’d be winning with hand-me-downs, but my boys wear their uniforms hard. So now’s the time I’m buying for the year ahead – and always with uniforms at least a size or two too big – they’ll be tight by the end of the year, I guarantee it.

3. "Will these school shoes actually last longer than a term?"

Quality school shoes are an absolute non-negotiable otherwise, you’ll be buying shoes on repeat throughout the year, wasting money, and not giving those growing feet the comfort and support they need. Feet come in different shapes, sizes and widths, so getting professionally fitted will mean your kids are running, jumping, playing and learning in comfort all year long.

My pick is the Alpha school shoe range from The Athlete’s Foot – with real leather uppers for comfort, flex, durability and breathability, and firm heel counters with a reinforced footbridge, these bad boys are designed to withstand daily wear and tear.

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Getting the right fit is essential – you need to take your kids shoe shopping with you, and a specialist shoe fitter like The Athlete’s Foot means you’re guaranteed the best possible fit for those little feet. Double-dyed, scratch-resistant leather also means they’ll look great for longer, and their 9-month outsole warranty gives you that extra peace of mind. Especially if you've had some less-than-positive experiences with other kinds of school shoes. (A soleless shoe anyone?)

4. "Is there really such a thing as the perfect lunchbox?"

If so, please let me know. We’ve tried all shapes, sizes and combinations. When my boys were little, I loved the bento-style lunch boxes, but now I can’t get enough food in them. My nine-year-old already eats more than most adults (he’s a bottomless pit).

So now when back-to-school shopping comes around I go looking for the elusive perfect lunchbox. It needs to hold enough food, be easy to clean, and be durable enough to last at least a few school terms.

Do a lunchbox audit now – really dig into the back of the cupboard and see exactly what you have, and what you need to buy to start the year right. And be serious about your labelling – too many of our lunchboxes have been lost in the school wilds, never to be seen again.

5. "How many drink bottles will they lose this year?"

Which leads me to my next thought: exactly how many drink bottles will we go through this year? Not only do they get misplaced at school, but also at the many after-school and weekend sports we attend.

No matter how many we have in the cupboard, it’s never enough. Yes, I’m guilty of exasperated shouts of “where on earth are all the drink bottles?” at 8.15am when we’re trying to leave the house. I don’t want to be that person in 2023.

Image: Supplied.

6. "Can I get another year out of this backpack?"

Hopefully, the answer is yes, because backpacks aren’t cheap.

In the early days of being a school parent, I forgot to clear out my kids’ backpack at the end of the school year. I just put it in a cupboard and forgot about it.

When school time rolled around, I pulled out the backpack... and there was something growing in there. A forgotten half-eaten apple. I still shudder when I remember touching it with my hand, thinking the bag was empty. Ugh.

So make sure your backpacks are cleared out properly, and then take a look to see if you can get another year out of each one. If you’ve got backpacks with broken zippers and gaping holes, now’s the time to invest in some new ones. 

Alpha shoes are the perfect shoe for the active child, expertly designed to be comfortable for all day wear. Grab them exclusively at The Athlete's Foot.

Feature Image: Supplied.